P.O Box 1110 • Tampa, FL 33601
Phone (813) 272-5660
HCFLGov.net
July 9, 2021


Brian L. Shroyer
Multimodal Project Manager
Florida Department of Transportation
11201 N. McKinley Drive, MS 7-500
Tampa, FL 33612

RE: State Road 56 Extension Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) Study

Dear Mr. Shroyer:

On June 16, 2021, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted unanimously
to inform the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) of its vehement opposition to the proposed
State Road 56 “Corridor 3b” extension route connecting U.S. Highway 301 to U.S. Highway 98. Corridor
3b would cut a new 15+ mile path through undeveloped public and private lands to make this
connection. Public lands affected by Corridor 3b include Hillsborough County’s Lower Green Swamp
Preserve (LGSP) and the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Upper Hillsborough Preserve
(UHP). Collectively, these two preserves encompass over 39,000 acres of contiguous, unspoiled lands that
comprise one of the last true wilderness areas remaining in the Tampa Bay region. Both the County and
District have worked tirelessly over the past four decades to piece together this vital wildlife corridor that
connects approximately 24,000 acres of preserved lands in the lower Hillsborough River Basin with over
131,000 acres of preserved lands in the Green Swamp.

Some of the primary concerns regarding Corridor 3b expressed during our June 16th meeting include the
following:

• The proposed route straddles the Hillsborough-Pasco County line as it completely bisects the shared
boundary between the LGSP and UHP. Forest fragmentation is considered one of the world’s
leading threats to biodiversity; in this case, an extension of State Road 56 will permanently damage
the landscape integrity of this wilderness area with wide-ranging ecological, environmental, and
recreational impacts.
•
Increased mortality rates of the Florida Black Bear and other documented local and wide-ranging
species that travel between the Green Swamp and Lower Hillsborough River Basin.
• Where the proposed route dips south into the County’s LGSP, an unacceptable conflict will occur
since the American Carbon Registry holds a 40-year easement over this portion of the preserve as
part of an approved Carbon Credit Project between the County and Winrock International.
• The County has procured state, local and federal grants as part of its Phase III LGSP Hydrologic
Restoration Project, the core of which is located along the preserve’s northern boundary and is
dependent upon the unimpeded sheet flow of water from the adjacent UHP.


• There is no existing FDOT or County Road Right-of-Way or Easement at this location that would
indicate any prior planning for a future road or extension of an existing road.
• The LGSP’s wide-ranging ecosystem services and their economic benefits to the taxpaying public
will be negatively impacted, thus devaluing a significant public asset.
• The proposed route is inconsistent and incompatible with the County’s Lower Green Swamp
Preserve Management Plan. Multiple land management activities, in particular prescribed burning
efforts, will be altered dramatically and, in some cases, impossible to conduct safely. This will
result in habitat degradation over time, especially in the northern portions of the preserve where the
prescription for conducting prescribed burns will be severely limited.

Additionally, several local organizations have reached out to the BOCC expressing their opposition to the
proposed Corridor 3b route. These include the Tampa Audubon Society, Eagle Audubon Society, Tampa
Bay Sierra Club, Hillsborough County Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP)
General Committee, and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Board. Over
many years, volunteers with these and other organizations have invested countless hours of hard work to
assist the County in its ongoing restoration and maintenance efforts at the LGSP.

It is the expectation of the BOCC that FDOT will move expeditiously to remove Corridor 3b from further
consideration. If we can be of assistance in this endeavor, please let me know.

Sincerely,


Pat Kemp, District 6, Countywide
Chair, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners

cc:
ELAPP General Committee

Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Board
Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation

The Honorable Chris Sprowls, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives

The Honorable Wilton Simpson, President of the Florida Senate
Hillsborough County Commission
Bonnie M. Wise, Hillsborough County Administrator
Christine M. Beck, Hillsborough County Attorney
Peggy Caskey, Hillsborough County Internal Auditor