1. Florida Division of Forestry Myakka State Forest Jim Karels, Director Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Charles H. Bronson, Commissioner

2. Myakka State Forest  Approximately 8,593 acres  Southwestern Sarasota Co  Almost entirely within the North Port City limits

4. Land Acquisition  1995  Atlantic Gulf Communities Corporation made 8,532 acres available to the state  2000  61 acres became available  Co-managed between DOF & DEP  Preservation 2000  Save Our Rivers

5. Accomplishments - Recreation  19,039 day visitors to the forest for 2009-10  10 drive-to and 4 remote campsites developed on the forest  2,236 camp permits issued in 2009-10  20 annual passes sold in 2009-10  Established as a Public Small Game Hunting Area with FWC in 2005  2,511 hunter visits to the forest in 2009-10 season

7.  10 drive-to campsites  4 remote campsites  4 trails  Over 20 miles of multi- purpose trails Camping & Trails

8.  850 acres of South Florida slash and longleaf pine planted since 2000  Timber inventory complete  1,500 to 2,000 acres prescription burned annually  Developed and implemented an exotic-invasive species control program Accomplishments - Timber

9. Accomplishment -Invasive Plant Control  8,593 acres surveyed  600 acres treated  Examples of Species Treated:  Cogan Grass  Japanese Climbing Fern  Brazilian Pepper  Melaleuca

10. Cogongrass Melaleuca

11. Endangered, Threatened and Sensitive Species

12. Water Resources  Myakka River  Outstanding Florida Water (OFW)  Wild and Scenic River  Divides the Forest into two Tracts  Big Slough  Also known as the Myakkahatchee Creek  Ainger Creek  Rock Creek  Part of the Charlotte Harbor estuarine system

13.  2 major wetland restoration projects completed on the forest  On-going restoration in coordination with SW Florida Water Mgmt Dist Accomplishments - Hydrology

15. Comments