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Surplus Army Reserve Center Outdoor Training Area Becomes New Nature Preserve
Community obtains globally imperiled Pine Rocklands

Miami, FL -The photo depicts what was once the largest intact but unprotected natural pine rockland and glade wetland habitats in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

The National Park Service Federal Lands to Parks program transferred these globally imperiled133.4 acres to Miami-Dade County, for public park and recreation use. Formerly used by the U.S. Army for their Reserve Center Outdoor Training Area, the property will now be preserved and open to the public for nature study including nature trails and wildlife observation stations.

This propert is located adjacent to the 270-acre Larry and Penny Thompson Park, a 1974 Federal Lands to Parks property conveyance to Miami-Dade County. Together, these two park properties now comprise the largest protected pine rockland habitats outside of the Everglades National Park.

Pine Rockland habitat is unique to only the south portion of Miami-Dade County. The 110 acres of Pine Rocklands on this parcel contain rejuvenating pines growing on exposed limestone, along with the Federally-listed endangered plant, the Deltoid Spurge. The remaining 20 acres contain the only remaining example in the county of a Transverse Glade wetland plant community which historically provided natural drainage between pine rockland islands from the Everglades eastward into Biscayne Bay.