The Management Plan Process is complete and the Final Plan dated July 29, 2008, is posted on the Documents page. Thank you for your participation in this important management plan for Babcock Ranch Preserve.

Meeting dates have been posted to the schedule for the Board of Trustees (BOT) Cabinet Aides and Cabinet meetings in late July 2008. Please view the schedule for more details. Previous meetings included the Babcock Ranch, Inc. meeting in February 2008 and the Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) meeting in April 2008.

The CMP Process is mandated by Florida Statutes (see the Management
Prospectus). Public comments and input on the Draft Conceptual Management Plan (CMP) will be collected at Public Hearings held in Lee and Charlotte counties in November 2007. Prior to the public hearings, the Management Advisory Group (MAG) will meet to provide stakeholder input, and the CMP Partners will participate in a Plan Development Workshop (PDW). The public is welcome to attend the MAG and PDW meetings as audience members. Meeting summaries will be posted to this website.

The public hearings are important to gather public input on the Draft 1 CMP. It is also a time for the public to gain a greater understanding of the CMP Process. Please review the Draft 1 CMP before the public hearings. The Draft 1 CMP will be available on this website two weeks prior to the hearings. View the Hearing Notice.

The public is welcome to attend either public hearing, or both hearings, which will include the same presentation and opportunities to comment on the Draft 1 CMP. You do not have to be a resident of Lee County or Charlotte County to attend either of these hearings.

Charlotte County Public Hearing: November 28th, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Tringali Recreation Center (3460 North Access Road, Englewood, FL 34224).

Lee County Public Hearing: November 29th, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Buckingham Community Center (4940 Buckingham Road, Fort Myers, FL 33905).

The Public Hearing in Charlotte County is important for gathering public input on the Draft 1 CMP. It is also a time for the public to gain a greater understanding of the steps being taken to create the CMP.

This Public Hearing will be held on November 28th, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Tringali Recreation Center (3460 North Access Road, Englewood, FL 34224). The Draft 1 CMP will be available on this website prior to this meeting.

The Public Hearing in Lee County is important for gathering public input on the Draft 1 CMP. It is also a time for the public to gain a greater understanding of the steps being taken to create the CMP.

This Public Hearing will be held on November 29th, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Buckingham Community Center (4940 Buckingham Road, Fort Myers, FL 33905). The Draft 1 CMP will be available on this website prior to this meeting.

The purpose of the Management Advisory Group (MAG) meeting is to engage the members and stakeholders in identification of important planning considerations and to get input at the beginning of the planning process in order to guide the development of the ten-year CMP. The public is welcome to attend this meeting as audience members.

The meeting will be held on August 8th, 2007 at the Charlotte County Eastport Environmental Campus, Training Room B (25550 Harborview Rd., Port Charlotte, FL 33980). The following documents are available prior to this meeting: Management Prospectus (Babcock Ranch Preserve Act; Florida Statutes 259.1053, 259.1052, and 259.10521), and the CMP Resource Scoping Summary for BRP. View the Meeting Notice.

The CMP Partners will meet for a Plan Development Workshop to compose goals and objectives, a budget, and an optimal boundary to guide the creation of the Babcock Ranch Preserve Conceptual Management Plan. The public is welcome to attend this meeting as audience members.

The meeting will be held on August 9th (and the 10th if needed) at Ruttenberg Park in Lee County (6490 South Pointe Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33919). View the
Meeting Notice.