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For more news and updates see our
Connections
newsletter.
Portion of Van Fleet State Trail Temporarily Closed
For Repairs
In order to
improve the safety and usability of the General James A. Van
Fleet State Trail, the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection’s Division of Recreation and Parks has temporarily
closed a section of the northern end of the Trail. For a
distance of approximately 100 feet on each end of Bridge #9
(the northernmost bridge on the Trail), public access is
fully restricted in order to make repairs to the bridge.
There may also be occasional interference with trail use in
the section of trail between the Mabel Trailhead and the
Bridge as equipment and supplies are being transported. Trail
users are asked to use caution in this area. It is
anticipated the Trail will completely reopen no later than
June 2012.
Portions of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail
Temporarily Closed
In conjunction with a major
rehabilitation of the water control structures of the Herbert
Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers has temporarily closed the Belle Glade to Port
Mayaca section of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST).
The section between Uncle Joe’s Fish Camp/Liberty Point and
Alvin Ward Park/Moore Haven East is also temporarily closed
for replacement of culverts. As construction activities
continue around the 143-mile earthen dike, trail users should
be aware that other sections of the LOST will open and close
over time in the interest of public safety. More information
on the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation project and its
impact on the LOST is available on the Corps of Engineers’
website:
http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Operations/Branches/SFOO/recreation_trails.htm
For specific
information on temporary LOST closures and the sections which
may be accessible at a given time, please contact the South
Florida Operations Office of the U. S. Army Corps of
Engineers at (863) 983-8101.
Rodman Reservoir Temporary
Drawdown
The Department of Environmental
Protection’s Division of Recreation and Parks, Office of
Greenways and Trails (OGT) is preparing for a temporary
drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir on the Marjorie Harris Carr
Cross Florida Greenway.
The expected schedule for the
drawdown is as follows:
November 28, 2011: Begin drawdown and
reduce water levels from 18.0’ to 11.0’, NGVD (National
Geodetic Vertical Datum)
March 1, 2012:
Start water back up from 11.0’ to 18.0’ per CUP (Consumptive
Use Permit) requirement
April 15, 2012 :
Bring water back up to 18.0’ minimum
Details and FAQs. For further information, please
contact the OGT’s Ocala field office at (352) 236-7143 or the
Tallahassee Office at (850) 245-2052.
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Niles Channel Historic
Bridge is Now Closed
Florida Keys
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Niles
Channel Historic Bridge along the Florida Keys Overseas
Heritage Trail (FKOHT) will be closed until further notice
due to deterioration.
More
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Portion of the Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail Closed for
Repairs
A portion of the
Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail (PLBST) in Putnam County has
been temporarily closed for renovations. A one-mile section
of paved trail, from CR 315 in Grandin, west to Goodson
Prairie Road, is currently closed to public access. The
remainder of the paved portion of the PLBST, from west of
Keystone Heights to Goodson Prairie Road, just east of State
Road 26, remains open to the public.
The 46-mile, Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail which runs
through Putnam, Union, Clay and Bradford is being paved in
phases by the Florida Department of Transportation, which is
currently constructing a 4.1-mile section of trail in Union
County and has just begun construction on 4.4 miles of trail
from CR 315 east to Holloway Road in Putnam County. With the
completion of these projects, approximately one-third of the
PLBST (18 miles) will have been paved.
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Improvements to the Shangri-La
Recreation Area of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida
Greenway Set to Begin
Beginning June 1, 2011, the Cross
Florida Greenway’s Shangri-La recreation area will be closed
for approximately seven months for the construction of a new
equestrian campground and day use facility. Public access to
this trailhead area will be fully restricted during this
time, however trails in the area will remain open and
accessible via the 49th Avenue Trailhead to the
east and Ross Prairie Trailhead to the west. The anticipated
completion date for these improvements, which will include
restrooms and picnic shelters, is January, 2012.
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Use of Wheelchairs and Other Power-Driven
Motorized Devices (OPDMD) on State Trails and Greenway
The Office of Greenways
& Trails (OGT) is committed to making all reasonable efforts
to ensure that its facilities, programs and services are
accessible to, and usable by, all people, including those
with disabilities. The Department of Justice’s
(DOJ) Final Title II regulation, 28 C.F.R. Part 35 Rule
provides for the use of certain types of other
power-driven mobility devices (OPDMD) on
state trails by
persons with mobility impairments. Certain standards and
specifications apply to the use of wheelchairs,
manually-powered mobility aids and other devices, as listed
here (PDF 120
kb). To ensure visitor safety and the preservation of natural
and cultural resources, OGT and its staff may allow or deny
the use of any motorized equipment by visitors to state
trails. See full
text of the DOJ Title II regulation
concerning OPDMD’s, scroll to section
35.137 Mobility devices.
NOTE: PLEASE
CALL BEFORE YOU GO. It is
highly recommended that you contact OGT or the Trail Manager
in advance of your visit to ensure that your particular OPDMD
is approved for use as planned.
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Please “Pardon our
Progress” on the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
Good things are happening on the Florida Keys
Overseas Heritage Trail! We appreciate your patience as we
move forward. Every effort will be made to minimize
disruptions, but be please prepared that several construction
projects to retrofit and/or repair certain historic bridges
and to develop additional sections of the Florida Keys
Overseas Heritage Trail (FKOHT) are scheduled to take place
over the coming months.
For an overview of the FKOHT construction projects
and news of the progress taking place along the Trail, see
Construction and Design Projects and the
Trail Talk newsletter in the
Highlights menu.
FKOHT office in Key Largo: (305) 853-3571
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