Bald eagles. Two of them. Nesting in the middle of our property. What do we do? Build around them, and make their nest a part of the natural landscape of Ocala Ranch.
Not only do we take great care in maintaining habitats for Florida’s protected wildlife, we make them a priority.
Using the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) map of Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System and detailed environmental studies, we know what species are on our property and where. That’s why Ocala Ranch will be built in the areas with the least impact on wildlife, and 1,300+ acres with the highest importance will be preserved open space.
In fact, in our application for approval, FWC noted that they appreciated the fact that we avoided, minimized and mitigated impact to state protected species.
And those two bald eagles? Our residents will be able to see them nesting from planned observation areas in one of our community centers.
At Ocala Ranch, we don’t look at protected species as nuisances. They are an integral component of the natural areas within our master-plan.