Editorial: Two historic reasons now to remember September 2017

Decades into the future, September 2017 will be remembered as a historic month in Southwest Florida for more than one reason.

Hurricane Irma is one. Now, Edison Farms is another.

At a time Category 3 Hurricane Irma has brought destruction and despair to many corners of Southwest Florida, we were looking for something – anything – positive to remind us the region can retain some of its natural beauty and habitat.

Lee County commissioners and staff delivered that Tuesday with the unanimous vote to acquire the 3,922-acre tract of wetlands rich property east of Estero and Bonita Springs for $42,345,000 from a landowner holding rights to the undeveloped property.

Sharing in the momentous event are the 84 percent of Lee voters who in November 2016 showed wisdom in supporting the use of property tax dollars for land acquisition through the Conservation 20/20 program. Edison Farms is one of most important tracts in Southwest Florida to protect from development, instead keeping it available for water recharge, cleansing and storage; wildlife habitat and possibly recreational uses.

Commissioner Brian Hamman addressed the $42.5 million question (including some $125,000 in costs to close by Dec. 28).

“We just came out of a hurricane. Is this money being spent in the right way?” Hamman paraphrased some questions being asked.

Absolutely. He noted Edison Farms someday could become the Central Park of Lee County and therefore will be important to families decades into the future.

For those still lacking power or tap water, navigating flooded streets, repairing holes in roofs and the like, it may seem like Southwest Florida won’t recover from Irma. But we will. We did after hurricanes Charley and Wilma.

Edison Farms, however, has been a magnet for development -- from a spring training site, to housing, to a potential route for a habitat-destroying north-south extension of County Road 951 from Collier County. This vote in the name of conservation ends such speculation.  

We only hope Collier County commissioners and voters are paying attention when it comes to reinstating Conservation Collier purchases.

Beginning, not end

South Lee Commissioner Larry Kiker aptly noted Tuesday’s vote is the beginning, not the finish line.

The tract east of Interstate 75 isn’t developed now, he said, yet that didn’t stop the devastating flooding occurring in south Lee County. Flood waters notably still fester in Bonita Springs.

As Kiker pointed out, the question now becomes what can be done with Edison Farms in the future to potentially help prevent or at least sharply curtail such catastrophic flooding.

Longtime Estero community leader Don Eslick offered commissioners an important perspective Tuesday when he projected what might be occurring if the Edison Farms property hosted a subdivision today.

“The flooding this would cause if this were developed would be devastating,” he said.

The potential for improved water storage on this tract was cited by various speakers at Tuesday’s commission hearing.

So far away

Southwest Florida has many newcomers since the horrible south Lee floods of 1995, which were repeated in 2008 when Tropical Storm Fay crossed the region.

So what occurred in Bonita Springs and the Island Park area after the August torrential rains and Irma may not be readily understood. Terms such as “sheet flow” may send folks to an internet search for an explanation. Similarly, the notion that there is value in protecting wetlands so far inland may mystify newcomers.

Jennifer Hecker, executive director of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, explained the importance of these mangroves Tuesday as “nature’s kidneys” that cleanse waters.

“Sheet flow” was referred to during another part of Tuesday’s meeting. Gravity takes storm water over the ground -- in this case from points east and north toward the west and south, converging on Bonita Springs.

Emergency management staff told commissioners Tuesday the high waters could be endured for two more weeks in Bonita Springs.

The Edison Farms purchase couldn’t help this time. But we join with Lee commissioners’ hopes that the next time we have such heavy rains, this acquisition will make a substantial difference.