Help plan the future of Cypress Creek WMA

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will present the draft materials for the Cypress Creek Wildlife Management Area 10-year Land Management Plan at a public hearing in Columbia County on Tuesday, April 28.

The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at 646 SE Pennsylvania St., Lake City, FL 32025. The public is encouraged to attend and will have the opportunity to comment and ask questions regarding the Land Management Plan for the FWC-managed WMA.

The Cypress Creek WMA encompasses approximately 1,621 acres in Columbia County and is an important piece of the conservation lands that buffer the Osceola National Forest in north Florida. While there are other lands owned and managed by the Suwannee River Water Management District within the area's established boundary, this Management Plan only pertains to the portions of the Cypress Creek WMA in which the FWC has lead management authority. Cypress Creek WMA will offer many opportunities for public recreation, including hunting, hiking, wildlife watching, and other fish and wildlife-focused public recreation.

“The Cypress Creek WMA was purchased to protect and restore a natural area of pine flatwoods and swamps linking the Osceola National Forest, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Suwannee River, as well as to provide fish and wildlife-focused outdoor recreation opportunities to the public,” said Cedar Spirk, FWC Land Conservation Planner. “This management plan will specify how we intend to accomplish that goal.”

For more information regarding this and other upcoming public hearings, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation, then click “Terrestrial Conservation” and “Management.”

Hunting and fishing regulations are not included in this plan or public hearing; they are addressed through a separate public process. To learn more about hunting and fishing regulations visit MyFWC.com/Hunting and click on the Hunting Handbook under “Regulations” or MyFWC.com/Fishing and select either Saltwater Recreational Regulations or  Freshwater Recreational Regulations

For more information about Land Management Plans, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation, click “Terrestrial Conservation,” then scroll to “Management Plans (WMA).”

To obtain a copy of the draft elements of the management plan for the Cypress Creek WMA contact FWCMgmtPlans@MyFWC.com.

Pursuant to Chapters 253 and 259, Florida Statutes, all lands purchased with public funds must have a Land Management Plan that ensures the property will be managed in a manner that is consistent with the intended purposes of the purchase.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting should notify the agency at least five calendar days before the meeting by calling 850-488-6411 or contacting the agency using the Florida Relay Service at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or 800-955-8770 (Voice), if you are hearing or speech impaired. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility, or if you need more information, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 

FWC, Office of Human Resources

620 S Meridian Street,

Tallahassee, FL 32399

Or write to: 

Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights

Department of the Interior

1849 C Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20240