Rare Salamander Slows Construction Plans: Fire District Must Survey Property Before Building
By Lynne Hough, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach
Jan. 2–HOLLEY — An endangered salamander that might inhabit a parcel, but hasn’t been confirmed to be there yet, is slowing plans for a new fire station.
According to Holley-Navarre Fire Commission Chairman James Fix, the fire district will pay an expert $1,200 to tell them where wetlands are and if specific acreage given to the fire district contains land vital to the flatwoods salamander.
In 1999, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received a petition requesting that the flatwoods salamander be added to the Species of Special Concern list. It was added to the list in 2001. Now, potential salamander habitat is considered in construction plans.
State fish and wildlife officials noted in the 1999 petition that if measures aren’t taken, “at present rates of loss, nearly all the flatwoods in Florida will be destroyed within 25 years.
“In Florida, 530 sites considered potential flatwoods salamander habitats were surveyed. The salamanders were found at only 15 percent of the sites.”
Those areas include “flatwoods habitats and … isolated, seasonal ponds within the flatwoods, required for breeding.”
That describes the land Eglin Air Force Base has leased to the Holley-Navarre Fire District for 25 years for free.
Fix said the fire district now must identify the areas of concern so they can move forward.
“The fire station is going to be built fronting Bob Tolbert Road,” Fix said. “It will not encroach on the flatwoods salamander or wetlands.”
The building will back up to State Road 87. Fix said grants will pay the $2 million price tag.
“I spent a year-and-a-half of my life finding the grant money for the renovations for Station One at Esplanade,” he said. ” I’m sure we can do it again.”
The new station will have two truck bays, a bunkroom and eating area. Fix said the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, the military and Lifeguard Ambulance have been approached about sharing the building.
A community center room will be built adjoining the fire station “to give the people of Holley a meeting room and things to do,” Fix added.
The station is expected to be completed in 18 to 19 months, but the construction can’t begin until the habitat is secured.
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