Split Oak Forest: A Jewel of Natural Heritage
Split Oak Forest, a 27-year-old mitigation park, lies at the intersection of Orange and Osceola Counties, east of SR 15/Narcoossee Road. Spanning 1,689 acres but initially planned to be larger, it forms a crucial part of a 3,000-acre ecological corridor of private and publicly conserved lands, including Moss Park and the Isle of Pine Preserve, and is a recipient site for relocated Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). Its mitigation status is complicated: the entire Orange County portion is a single mitigation park, and the Osceola County side is a patchwork of individual mitigation projects.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) manages Split Oak as a Wildlife and Environmental Area; thus, its official name is Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area (SOFWEA).
Ecological Importance
Gopher tortoise
(Gopherus polyphemus)
In Florida, the gopher tortoise is listed as Threatened, and both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law. Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place, and property owners must obtain permits from the FWC before capturing and relocating tortoises. Gopher Tortoises are an ecologically critical “keystone species,” as their burrows provide habitat for over 300 species, including some federally protected ones. Among these are the Florida Mouse, Podomys floridanus (recently de-listed), Florida Pine Snake, Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus (Threatened), Gopher Frog, Lithobates capito (recently de-listed), Eastern indigo snake, Drymarchon corais couperi (federally designated as Threatened).
Florida Scrub-jay
(Aphelocoma coerulescens)
Florida Scrub-jay is protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It is also protected as a Threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a federally-designated Threatened species under Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Rule.
Swallow-Tailed Kite
(Elanoides forficatus)
The swallow-tailed Kite (has no federal listing status but is considered a species of critical conservation concern by all state agencies, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners in Flight, and conservation organizations.
Sherman’s Fox Squirrel
(Sciurus niger shermani)
Sherman’s Fox Squirrel is listed as a Species of Special Concern on Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species List.
Florida Sandhill Crane
(Antigone canadensis pratensis)
Florida Sandhill Crane is listed as a state Threatened on Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species List.
Trails and Recreation
The forest boasts over 24 miles of trails (Trail Map), doubling as firebreaks for ecological management. These trails are very popular for low-environmental-impact recreational activities, including hiking and horseback riding. Dogs and higher-impact activities such as biking and camping are prohibited to preserve the area's ecological integrity.
Split Oak has five named trails totaling 7.7 miles:
- North/South Trail - The longest trail, at 5.2 miles, is a loop from the Main Entrance. It passes by the park's namesake - the Split Oak Tree - as well as the Sawgrass Marsh Overlook and Scrub Jay Island and connects to every other named trail except the Lake Hart Spur.
- Lake Loop - At just under a mile long, this scenic and mostly shady trail will show you both water bodies that Split Oak borders: Lake Hart and Bonnet Pond.
- Center Trail - This trail takes .9 miles to cross Split Oak. A third of the trail is solid footing and shady; the other two-thirds is a shadeless firebreak of deep white sand.
- Swamp Trail - This trail is mainly along a berm that crosses a brushy marsh into Moss Park. The trail is 0.7 miles long.
- County Line Trail - A short, beautiful walk through the hammock that brings you near Lake 2. It's 0.3 miles long.
Several sites feature Split Oak Forest, including…
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Split Oak is in Danger
A developer, The Central Florida Expressway Authority, proposes constructing a road through the southern region of Split Oak Forest. This development, even with the inclusion of bridges or wildlife underpasses, would be a significant barrier, disrupting wildlife habitats, limiting public access, and complicating essential management practices. The southern part of the forest, which relies heavily on fire management to control invasive plants, would be particularly impacted. The proposed road would severely hinder fire management efforts, constraining crucial management activities and impeding natural wildlife movement.
Management and Ownership
Who owns Split Oak Forest?
It was the first foray into Orange and Osceola Counties, jointly conserving land. FWC manages it. It has several layers of protection: it is covered, in part, by three conservation easements, two held by FWC and one held by South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD); it is also covered entirely by deed restrictions held by the Florida Communities Trust (FCT). It was partly conserved with FWC Gopher Tortoise Mitigation Program funds to offset development impacts on Gopher Tortoises and funding from the FCT, Orange County, and Osceola County conservation land acquisition funds.
Here is the draft management plan for 2016-2026, and here is the completed management plan for 2017-2027.
In 1991, Osceola County and Orange County respectively approved a partnership application in cooperation with the FWC, then the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, which was submitted to the FCT, formerly within the now defunct Department of Community Affairs, now housed within the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to acquire SOFWEA. Subsequently, the FCT approved the partnership application in 1992. On March 15, 1994, Orange and Osceola Counties approved an inter-agency agreement between the counties and FWC. This agreement established the FWC as the managing agency of SOFWEA, establishing the area as a Mitigation Park to protect the vital habitat for the gopher tortoise.
What is the official designation of the land?
It is conservation land. Most of Split Oak has been used as mitigation to protect vital habitat for gopher tortoises and Florida Scrub Jays to offset the destruction of these species and their habitat elsewhere. It's a mitigation bank that offsets wetland impacts from both private and public entities, including the Orange County Convention Center. It was listed among the Orange County Green PLACE sites (County-owned natural lands) but is now listed as an Orange County park rather than a Green PLACE. As of May 2007, the County had sold 88 acres of credits out of 206. The mitigation bank's goals are focused on uplands, and thus "most restoration work on the bank has been done to return a natural fire interval to the landscape. Some hydrologic work has been done such as ditch filling but details are not known.” (ibid p.67)
Is the developer (Central Florida Expressway Authority) entitled to it, or will it require variances/rezoning/Comp Plan amendments?
According to the Orange and Osceola Counties’ Recreation Master Plan, the following activities are allowed: hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, nature study, geocaching, and equestrian usage by permit only. Activities that the SOFWEA does not approve include biking, hunting, and camping. Orange and Osceola counties’ future land use maps indicate that the SOFWEA will continue to be designated and zoned as conservation and preservation/rural lands.
The current land use designations for areas near the SOFWEA in the Osceola County portion are low-density residential and mixed-use. Orange County's areas surrounding SOFWEA are designated as rural, conservation, and planned development. According to Osceola and Orange County’s comprehensive plan, conservation/preservation lands allow for 1 unit/5 acres.
Historical Timeline
1991
December - Orange County signals intent to create Split Oak with Osceola County via Resolution 91-ENV-03, and the counties submit the initial application to the Florida Communities Trust (FCT).
1992
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1993
September - The Carter family sells property in Osceola County, including Split Oak, to Kappa Investments, Inc. (annual report for 1995), headed by members of their family and the Poitras family, for $1.3m.
1994
February/March - both counties entered into an agreement to apply for a loan and a grant from the FCT to establish Split Oak Forest; this agreement is called the Interagency Agreement for Split Oak Forest Mitigation Park.
March - Both counties enter into the 'Grant Award Agreement' binding them to each other in deed restrictions enforceable by FCT. It was amended in July to add the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (then Game and Fish Commission, or GFC) to the mix.
April - Kappa Investments, Inc. sells Split Oak Forest to Osceola County for $3.25m. Here's the deed and Orange and Osceola's mortgage from FCT. July - Grant Award Agreement amended to include the then Game and Fish Commission (GFC, now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC) as an 'FCT Recipient' just like Orange and Osceola Counties.
1995
March - The counties put 100 acres in Osceola County under a Conservation Easement. This deed includes “whereas paragraphs” describing the entire project area and referencing the "Governing Documents."
1996
June - Orange County is authorized to sell mitigation credits on its part of Split Oak Forest. South Florida Water Management District authorizes it under permit number 950306-3.
October - The conservation easement on the Orange County portion of Split Oak Forest is completed and recorded. The South Florida Water Management District holds it.
Public Engagement and Education
We encourage community involvement in the ongoing preservation of Split Oak Forest. For more information and educational resources or to get involved, please visit consider volunteering or attending an event.
Split Oak Forest is more than just a piece of land; it's a living, breathing ecosystem that needs our protection. Join us in our efforts to preserve this invaluable natural resource for future generations.