Wildlife bridge could be answer for Split Oak

As a litigant and an intervenor in two lawsuits to stop the highway through Split Oak Forest, we see a possible solution to the problem that may prove to be an innovative path forward for Florida. There is no doubt that developer money rules not only our state government but also many local governments and that nature is at an eternal disadvantage in these situations. At the Florida Communities Trust meeting to discuss the fate of Split Oak, Dr. Reed Noss stated that it was not only the 350-foot highway easement that would impact the forest, but that road noise and pollution would adversely affect the entire 2,000-acre forest.

On May 12th, the Central Florida Expressway Authority passed a resolution proposed by Commissioner Lee Constantine that states: “CFX agrees to provide substantial bridged wildlife crossings along the 1.3-mile Expressway through Split Oak in Osceola County; using the Wekiva Parkway wildlife crossings as a model for this project.”

Imagine a continuous wildlife bridge over the entire 1.3-mile length of the highway. This would create a conservation tunnel through the forest for the highway, blocking the noise and presenting an opportunity to filter the pollution coming from the highway. This would also provide an earthen embankment to shield the view of neighboring subdivisions from inside the forest. These benefits would actually be better as a wildlife corridor than running a conventional highway south of the forest. We also see the possibility for this to become a model for other political impasses elsewhere in the state.

Chuck O’Neal Apopka

Chuck O’Neal is president of Speak Up Wekiva.