Save the Dates: 10/26 and 10/27 for Two Events about the County’s Transfer of Development Rights Program

Save the Dates: 10/26 and 10/27 for Two Events about the County’s Transfer of Development Rights Program

by | Oct 4, 2023 | Events, News

Join Horse Farms Forever for two events in October to discuss how Marion County’s Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program can help protect the Farmland Preservation Area and other rural lands in the County. 

TDR Roundtable, Phase 2

Thursday, October 26th from 10AM to 12PM

Auditorium at the S.E. Livestock Pavilion

Marion County’s Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program is a key component in protecting the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) and other rural lands. In 2022, Horse Farms Forever hired Rick Pruetz, an FAICP professional planner and nationally known expert on TDR programs to evaluate the TDR program to determine why the program is underutilized. Rick compiled his research into a Draft Findings Report, which will be presented at the October 26th TDR Roundtable.

The Roundtable will be facilitated by Horse Farms Forever Founder Member Elisabeth Brinton, who is a former Corporate Vice President of Sustainability at Microsoft, and also owns a horse farm in the FPA.

The first TDR Roundtable was held on April 14th at Golden Ocala with a diverse group of 25 community stakeholders including land use attorneys, engineers, planners as well as Growth Services staff, and elected officials.

RSVP to busy.shires@horsefarmsforever.com and to receive a copy of the Draft Findings Report on Marion County’s TDR Program.

Click Here for a Summary of the First TDR Roundtable
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Ocala CEP Friday Talks

Friday, October 27th from 8:15 AM to 9:30 AM

Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership – Upstairs Douglas P. Cone Boardroom

Hear from nationally recognized expert, Rick Pruetz, FAICP and Ray Mazzie, Managing Partner, Southern Waters Capital on Marion County’s Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program and the recent utilization of 72 TDR credits to increase the density of a residential development by 72 units.

Friday Talks, sponsored by TD Bank, features speakers sharing their knowledge on a variety of business education and financial literacy topics. The sessions are held at the CEP in the Douglas P. Cone Boardroom beginning with networking at 8:15am. A light breakfast is served.

RSVP to Andrea@OcalaCEP.com

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Carlton Ward, Jr to be Keynote Speaker at Horse Farms Forever’s Conservation Summit

Carlton Ward, Jr to be Keynote Speaker at Horse Farms Forever’s Conservation Summit

by | Aug 25, 2023 | Events, News

Ocala, FL – August 25, 2023 – Horse Farms Forever, Inc.® is pleased to announce that Carlton Ward, Jr, a National Geographic Explorer and photographer, will be the Keynote Speaker at the Fourth Annual Conservation Summit to be held on Thursday, November 16 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company.

Join us for a Conversation about Conservation as Carlton shares the story about photographing the first female Florida panther documented north of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973. Carlton’s quest to photograph the elusive and endangered Florida Panther was documented in the “Path of the Panther,” an award-winning documentary film produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Carlton’s photograph of Babs, as the panther is affectionately named, shows that the range of the Florida panther has expanded north from the Everglades. This expansion is the key to the panther’s recovery, but their long-term survival depends on protecting land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

“If we can show the world who that panther is, that’s going to be the spark to save this whole corridor,” said Carlton in the Path of the Panther film preview.

The Path of the Panther film has already made an impact by inspiring the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021, which helped secure over $800 million in state funding for land conservation. Since the Act was passed in 2021, nearly 120,000 acres of land have been approved for conservation.

“I want everyone who sees the film to have tremendous pride in the state of Florida and know about the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the importance of it for the state’s future,” said Carlton “That’s why our team spent so many years focusing on the Florida panther. It’s a symbol of the need for protecting the corridor.”

The Florida Wildlife Corridor is an existing, nearly contiguous network of land that stretches from the Panhandle to the Florida Keys over about 18 million acres. Nearly 10 million acres has been conserved as public lands and as private lands that are protected with a conservation easement, but about half of the corridor is at risk of being developed.

About 40% of Marion County is included as part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The Ocala National Forest at over 430,000 acres in Marion County, is one of the largest pieces of the Florida Wildlife Corridor puzzle. The goal is to connect additional conservation lands such as the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and Silver Springs State Park by protecting private land with conservation easements. A portion of the Farmland Preservation Area in northwest Marion County is also part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Two of the key partner organizations working to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor will also be speaking at the 2023 Conservation Summit. Mallory Lykes Dimmitt is the CEO of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, which champions a collaborative campaign to connect, protect, and restore the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Traci Deen is the President and CEO of Conservation Florida, a statewide land conservancy focused on protecting natural and agricultural landscapes with a primary focus on saving land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

By conserving private ranches and farms as part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, this also allows agriculture operations to continue to contribute to the economy and to the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida.

View Trailer

The Florida Wildlife Corridor

The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a statewide network of over 18 million acres that supports wildlife, people, and communities. It runs from the panhandle all the way to the tip of the peninsula. The Florida Wildlife Corridor already exists. The goal is to ensure continued connection between public land and green spaces across the state through private and public land conservation.

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Path of the Panther

The Path of the Panther tells the story of how a group of photographers, veterinarians, ranchers, conservationists, and indigenous people joined forces to track and protect the endangered Florida panther. In this moving documentary, stunning images of the big cats spur the movement to restore a majestic keystone species as well as a dwindling wilderness.

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The Florida Panther

The Florida panther is more than just an icon for Florida’s last wild places. It is a conservation keystone. The panther is an umbrella species with the largest terrestrial home range in the state, protecting dozens of other species in its domain. Reaching near extinction in the 1950’s, the Florida panther was among the first to be added to the U.S. Endangered Species list in 1973.

Protecting land for the panther is important for people and communities too because connected habitat helps provide clean air and drinking water, as well as other benefits like pollination of food crops and flood mitigation from heavy rains or hurricanes. The panther population has rebounded from about 30 adults to nearly 200 today. But the species faces a multitude of new challenges.

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Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation

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Conservation Florida

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Welcome Serenity Spring Farm, New HFF Founder Member!

Welcome Serenity Spring Farm, New HFF Founder Member!

by | Jun 22, 2023 | News

Bob Utley and Elisabeth Brinton of Serenity Spring Farm with Miss Minnie Pearl

The opening of the World Equestrian Center (WEC) has attracted the horse world from far and wide to Marion County. Elisabeth Brinton and Bob Utley have lived abroad and traveled the world for most of their professional careers. They recently purchased a horse farm in the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) and joined Horse Farms Forever as Founder Members.

Elisabeth riding Gloria on the farm.

Elisabeth is a competitive show jumper. She is also a global sustainability expert and successful builder of global businesses for strategic corporate investors and private capital. A few years before her retirement as a senior executive with Microsoft, she and Bob began searching for a U.S. based horse farm. They reached out to Matt Varney, a realtor and broker with Ocala Horse Properties, to find the perfect farm.

The Place to Be

They could have chosen one of many equestrian areas around the world, but they chose to buy a farm in Marion County because of WEC. But most importantly, they wanted their farm to be located in the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA).

“We carefully selected our horse farm and made a deliberate choice to be close to WEC and in the FPA,” says Elisabeth. “As a competitive show jumping rider and passionate horse owner, moving here is not only the fulfillment of a life-long dream to own a beautiful farm, but equally an amazing relief to be back home in the USA and in our wonderful state.”

“Our partnership and program is based on the shared values of excellence in horse care, quality preparation, complete wellness of horse and rider, ethical goal-oriented training, performance and fun,” states the SSF website.

Enchanted

While being located in close proximity to WEC was important for their horse farm, Elisabeth and Bob were also both enchanted by the natural beauty of Marion County.

“We love all of the outdoor activities here and we also love the springs and going kayaking,” says Elisabeth. “We even named our new horse farm Serenity Spring Farm after the spring fed pond on the farm.”

Elisabeth’s husband Bob is an avid marathon runner. He trains several days a week on the Greenway. “I don’t run, but I hike and then Bob and I meet for a coffee date on Mondays,” she shares.

Lifelong Conservationists

Prior to moving abroad, Elisabeth’s professional career in sustainability started in California where she helped introduce legislation to help protect parks from incompatible land uses that may cause light pollution or run-off. She also helped establish carbon credits for land, founded two land trusts, and helped protect access for equestrians to horse trails.

Elisabeth’s life-long support of land conservation and natural resource protection inspired her to join Horse Farms Forever® (HFF) as a Founder Member because she resonated with HFF’s mission, as well as the organization’s balanced position regarding development and conservation.

“It’s all about good planning and identifying those areas to protect. While at the same time, we need hotels, roads and we moved here because of WEC,” she states. “But I am well aware that without the hard work of Horse Farms Forever, my farm and this whole region would not be protected from the proposed toll road.”

While their farm is located in the FPA, she is just as supportive of conserving the horse farms that are not located in the FPA.

“I live in the FPA, but I also support those southern areas around the Florida Horse Park and the Greenway,” she says. “The farms around the Greenway and the Florida Horse Park are just jewels that also need to be protected.”

Horse Farms Forever® is honored to have Elisabeth, Bob, and Serenity Spring Farm as part of the world-wide team to help inspire the conservation of horse farms in Marion County!

HFF would also like to thank Elisabeth for volunteering her time to serve as a professional facilitator for the TDR Roundtable on April 14 at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Center.

 

 

Rick Pruetz shares his Marion County findings and Elisabeth Brinton – Corporate Vice President of Sustainability, Microsoft (retired) and HFF Founder Member facilitates the discussion. 

Visit:
Busy Shires

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

Contact the County about the EAR:

For any additional questions regarding the EAR process, please email Planning@MarionFL.org with your subject line including 'EAR' or call us at 352-438-2675 & ask for a planner.

https://www.marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/growth-services/planning-zoning/ear

The workshops will be livestreamed. Check the County’s agenda webpage for the link: https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Join or Donate Now
Watchdog Alert! RaceTrac Plans Farmland Preservation Area Invasion

Watchdog Alert! RaceTrac Plans Farmland Preservation Area Invasion

by | Jun 13, 2023 | Development Threats, News

RaceTrac has targeted land and begun discussions with the County to build a truck stop in the Farmland Preservation Area. RaceTrac is a great family business story, and their facilities are first class.  There’s nothing wrong with them or what they want to build.

What’s wrong is where they want to build it, deep inside the Farmland Preservation Area on rural land with agricultural zoning. It’s just not a compatible land use.

Wrong Location

The site is at the intersection of 329 where it meets 301/441 just before the “Y” where 301/441 split in northwest Ocala. It is right near both the North Marion High and Middle schools. You can see that the area is predominantly large, open pastures.

Incompatible Zoning

In order to approve this use, the County would have to:

  • Amend the Comprehensive Plan to change the Future Land Use from Rural to Commercial.

  • Change the zoning from Agricultural to Business.

  • Contradict the unanimously passed HFF Amendment.

Sprawl-Inducing

Truck stops depend on traffic to make a profit. Look at what grew up around a similar RaceTrac in Lithia Springs, Georgia:

  • SPRAWL!
  • Big Box Stores
  • Distribution Centers

Better Alternatives Exist

Locations with compatible zoning are plentiful. 

This is Horse Country

Ocala is the Horse Capital of the World®. There is one horse for every four people. The equine industry accounts for one-fifth of the county’s workforce, land use and economy. For Ocala, the equine industry is the bedrock of our economic strength, infrastructure, and identity; it’s like vineyards are to Napa Valley, like corn is to Iowa.

Respect and Protect 

The foundation for this equestrian mecca is the simple fact that for there to be horses, there must be horse farms. Ocala is home to thousands of horse farms and training centers, mostly concentrated in the Farmland Preservation Area. What makes the Farmland Preservation Area so special and worthy of protection?  Why was it established and what makes it unique?

Valuable Natural Resources

The answer is simple, it’s the soil and the water. The boundaries of the Farmland Preservation Area were drawn around one of the richest concentrations of number 8 soil in the country. Number 8 soil is special because it is a thin layer of nutrient rich dirt sitting atop a massive lime rock formation known as the Ocala Ridge. This almost pure limestone is full of calcium carbonate, a key ingredient in building strong bones and muscles in horses.  

Silver Springs is the largest artesian spring in the world. The Farmland Preservation Area cradles both the primary and secondary protection zones for Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs within its boundaries.

The People Have Spoken

The majority of the community agrees.  We support that statement with the results of the Quality-of-Life Survey in 2021.  The community spoke loudly when asked, “What do you think is the most important issue facing Marion County today?”

The number one answer was Preservation of Land and Natural Resources.

When asked, “Is it crucial to maintain the Marion County area and its resources to ensure that the legacy as the Horse Capital of the World™ will remain for future generations?”

90% agreed, the highest score on the survey.

The County Agrees

In addition, the majority of the commissioners agree.  We support that statement with the unanimous passage of the Horse Farms Forever Amendment in 2022.

Policy 3.3.1: Elements of Rural Character

The County shall preserve and protect rural and equestrian/agricultural character within the Rural Lands, specifically the Farmland Preservation Area, by requiring that all appropriate future development activities within this Area preserve, support, and enhance the fundamental elements of rural character set forth below, and further requiring that all Zoning Changes and Special Use Permits within the Farmland Preservation Area be consistent with and preserve, protect, support, and enhance the rural, equestrian, and farmland character of the Farmland Preservation Area.

We ask RaceTrac to recognize the role that horses, horse farms and the Farmland Preservation Area play in the character and culture of this community, and to respect the integrity of the rural land in the Farmland Preservation Area.

Contact the County about the EAR:

For any additional questions regarding the EAR process, please email Planning@MarionFL.org with your subject line including 'EAR' or call us at 352-438-2675 & ask for a planner.

https://www.marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/growth-services/planning-zoning/ear

The workshops will be livestreamed. Check the County’s agenda webpage for the link: https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Join or Donate Now
Happy 5th Anniversary!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

by | Jun 12, 2023 | News

Five years is a sweet anniversary.

Five Years = Strength and Wisdom

This year, Horse Farms Forever is celebrating our five-year anniversary. The traditional five-year anniversary gift is wood, which symbolizes strength and wisdom. Over the past five years, we have gained strength to defend the Farmland Preservation Area and shared wisdom from local, regional and national experts about how to protect our horse farms, natural resources, and quality of life.

Strength in Numbers

We were founded in 2018 to inspire the conservation of horse farms through education, awareness and idea exchange. Horses and horse farms create the character and culture that define Marion County. Without horse farms, there are no horses. The horse farms and open spaces nurture a thriving equine industry and assure that this sense of place is protected for future generations.

Our strength as an organization is based on a solid level of support from the community. While founded by a small group of horse farm owners, HFF has now grown into a coalition that includes thousands of members and supporters. We have strong support from the business community and many of the largest landowners and developers in the county. They all recognize the importance of a thriving equine industry, which represents over one-fifth of our economy and workforce.

The Big Picture

Marion County covers about 1.1 million acres. The Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) encompasses close to 200,000 acres in the northwest. It was designated as an important area for protection by the County in 2004 because of the presence of rare and nationally significant agricultural soils that are limestone-rich and ideal for raising livestock. The FPA also contains the primary and secondary springs protection zones for Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs, which serve as the lungs for our County’s clean water.

To uphold our global brand as the Horse Capital of the World® in the face of today’s growth pressures, we must protect the land. We are not anti-growth. Rather, we are actively involved in encouraging smart growth that coexists with conservation.

Sharing Wisdom

In five years, we have firmly established a seat at the table and have a good working relationship with our Marion County Commissioners, County staff and other major stakeholders. The HFF staff members are active every day, attending countless hours of hearings, meetings and workshops.  We review every zoning, land use and special permit application for potential threats to horse farms, especially in the Farmland Preservation Area.

As Marion County grows, our mission has become even more relevant, as we work to strengthen the boundaries of the Farmland Preservation Area and the policies in the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code by working with local, regional and national experts to further preserve and protect horse farms and rural farmland, especially in the Farmland Preservation Area.

Let’s take a brief walk together through the impactful changes that HFF has made:

Coastal Connector Toll Road Stopped

In 2018, we joined other major stakeholders to stop the proposed Coastal Connector Toll Road through the heart of the FPA. In the end, the Florida Department of Transportation designated the FPA as an Avoidance Area for future toll road planning.

New FPA Signs

HFF partnered with Marion County to help highlight the FPA with the design and installation of new signage that includes the horse. We funded the printing and distribution of dozens of new signs so that the size and beauty of the area could be more clearly recognized and appreciated.

World Equestrian Center agreement

HFF reached an agreement with the WEC leadership to save 275 acres from being removed from the FPA. 

ATV Racetrack Stopped

HFF lead the charge to stop the development of an ATV park and ¼-mile drag strip in the heart of the FPA and a large area of horse farms.

Quality of Life Survey

HFF served as the catalyst for the Quality-of-Life Survey to gauge the community wide support for preserving horse farms and the FPA. Over 90% of the community designated farmland preservation as the #1 issue facing the county.

conservation summit

HFF hosts two annual events focused on protecting horse farms and the FPA, a Speaker Series in the spring and a Conservation Summit in the fall.

HFF Amendment

HFF successfully amended the Marion County Comprehensive Plan to add further protections to the FPA by more tightly defining rural character and compatible land uses.

Land Development Amendment

HFF has applied to amend the Marion County Land Development Code to add further protections from subdivision of rural parcels in the FPA.

Conservation Easements

HFF is working with the county leadership and other stakeholders to refine the Transfer of Development Rights Program to make it more effective and functional, adding further protections to the FPA with conservation easements.

Join the herd and help us as we continue to advance the Conversations about Conservation in Marion County.

May the next five years see even more progress!

Contact the County about the EAR:

For any additional questions regarding the EAR process, please email Planning@MarionFL.org with your subject line including 'EAR' or call us at 352-438-2675 & ask for a planner.

https://www.marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/growth-services/planning-zoning/ear

The workshops will be livestreamed. Check the County’s agenda webpage for the link: https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Join Us