A 10-year plan for the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area will be presented at a public hearing in Osceola County on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.

People are invited to the 7 p.m. public hearing at the Osceola County Administrative Building, 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 4700, in Kissimmee.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff will present the draft land management plan for the FWC-managed WMA and people will be encouraged to comment and ask questions. For more information on the upcoming local public hearing, go to MyFWC.com/Conservation and select “Terrestrial Programs” then “Management Plans.”

The Three Lakes WMA is adjacent to the three lakes for which it is named, Lake Kissimmee, Lake Jackson and Lake Marian. The area includes a large expanse of the Kissimmee prairie, one of the last sections of dry prairie remaining. It encompasses approximately 65,333 acres within Osceola County and offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, paddling on Lake Jackson, scenic driving and camping.

The Florida grasshopper sparrow, red-cockaded woodpecker, Audubon’s crested caracara, snail kite, Eastern indigo snake and American alligator are among the native species living here. The dry prairie, mesic flatwoods, and mosaic of other natural communities in the Three Lakes WMA not only provide wildlife habitat, but also an important buffer and filter system for run-off between upland areas and the Kissimmee River.

“Three Lakes WMA was purchased to ensure the preservation of fish and wildlife resources, other natural and cultural resources, and for fish- and wildlife-based public outdoor recreation,” said Jennifer Paredes, FWC land conservation planner. “This draft plan will specify how we intend to do that.”

All lands purchased with public funds must have a management plan that ensures the property will be managed in a manner that is consistent with the intended purposes of the purchase.

Hunting and fishing regulations are not included in this plan or meeting; those are addressed through a separate public process.

To obtain a copy of the land management prospectus for Three Lakes WMA, call Jennifer Paredes at 850-487-9588 or email Jennifer.Paredes@MyFWC.com.

For more information and background on management plans and their goals, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation and select “Terrestrial Conservation Programs” then “Management Plans.”

For more on Three Lakes WMA, go to MyFWC.com and select “Wildlife Viewing” then “Wildlife Management Areas.”

Media contacts: Carli Segelson, 772-215-9459; Greg Workman, 352-620-7335