Deforestation of Walton County

Preach Dawn.

I have to admit, I was not a preservationist until I moved to Walton County. But you arrive here, and you see the stunning beauty, especially off of the beach. The animals, birds, unique trees and plants. There is even strong indications that Ivory Billed Woodpeckers are still in the county.

It seems that the original Watersound really got it right. Also Watercolor as well. The old St. Joe.

I see it as a factor of two distinctly different counties north and south of the Bay. North sees the "South End" only as a golden goose, not a unique place to be developed intelligently so as to preserve it. Until the full time residents who live south of the Bay surpass the North, and bring in preservation-minded commissioners, the destruction will continue. I hope when that times does come, it's not too late.

Right now, Walton County is the prime example along the Gulf Coast of how not to develop a county and preserve the natural beauty that drew people there in the first place.

Preach Dawn.

I have to admit, I was not a preservationist until I moved to Walton County. But you arrive here, and you see the stunning beauty, especially off of the beach. The animals, birds, unique trees and plants. There is even strong indications that Ivory Billed Woodpeckers are still in the county.

It seems that the original Watersound really got it right. Also Watercolor as well. The old St. Joe.

I see it as a factor of two distinctly different counties north and south of the Bay. North sees the "South End" only as a golden goose, not a unique place to be developed intelligently so as to preserve it. Until the full time residents who live south of the Bay surpass the North, and bring in preservation-minded commissioners, the destruction will continue. I hope when that times does come, it's not too late.

Right now, Walton County is the prime example along the Gulf Coast of how not to develop a county and preserve the natural beauty that drew people there in the first place.

I heard Barbara Morano has filed to run for district 5 commissioner. Could be a real game changer if we can get her elected.

I heard Barbara Morano has filed to run for district 5 commissioner. Could be a real game changer if we can get her elected.

She is running. There are also two other seats that could change if some worthwhile candidates would just step up.

Preach Dawn.

I have to admit, I was not a preservationist until I moved to Walton County. But you arrive here, and you see the stunning beauty, especially off of the beach. The animals, birds, unique trees and plants. There is even strong indications that Ivory Billed Woodpeckers are still in the county.

It seems that the original Watersound really got it right. Also Watercolor as well. The old St. Joe.

I see it as a factor of two distinctly different counties north and south of the Bay. North sees the "South End" only as a golden goose, not a unique place to be developed intelligently so as to preserve it. Until the full time residents who live south of the Bay surpass the North, and bring in preservation-minded commissioners, the destruction will continue. I hope when that times does come, it's not too late.

Right now, Walton County is the prime example along the Gulf Coast of how not to develop a county and preserve the natural beauty that drew people there in the first place.

Nice post unfortunately it seems tooamy people moving here are fine with Horton cracker boxes with 15 foot setbacks and no trees. Some developers would save trees and develop responsibly and make more profit because of it. Now consumers accept s**t at ridiculously high prices.

I heard Barbara Morano has filed to run for district 5 commissioner. Could be a real game changer if we can get her elected.

The cynic in me says she will get torpedoed. If she gets elected she'll be neutered or a lone dissenter. Although one voice is better then nothing I guess. Look at the BCC recent history. The pro development faction got control and have had a stranglehold for awhile now.

Nice to see the hysterics here too.

Go buy it if you want to preserve it.

Most of the land you are upset about being "torn up" is old timber forest that was planted after stripping the natural vegetation away.

We are fortunate to have so much preservation land and many communities would be jealous to have a tenth of what we have.

Nice to see the hysterics here too.

Go buy it if you want to preserve it.

Most of the land you are upset about being "torn up" is old timber forest that was planted after stripping the natural vegetation away.

We are fortunate to have so much preservation land and many communities would be jealous to have a tenth of what we have.

Yep, you would be foolish not to develop your land to its highest and best use.

Nice to see the hysterics here too.

Go buy it if you want to preserve it.

Most of the land you are upset about being "torn up" is old timber forest that was planted after stripping the natural vegetation away.

We are fortunate to have so much preservation land and many communities would be jealous to have a tenth of what we have.

Is it safe to assume you are all about "customary use"?

How can you assume you know what land Dawn, or myself, are referring to?

The only reason there is preservation land, state forest land, is because the state preserved it. The county would love to confiscate those lands. Heck, they keep ordering $600,000 studies to "study" dissecting state forest for a St. Joe-ordered thoroughfare connecting 30A to the Hwy 98 Test Track.
Further, I don't know the details, but I know its a miracle that Topsail Preserve even exists.

Is it safe to assume you are all about "customary use"?

How can you assume you know what land Dawn, or myself, are referring to?

The only reason there is preservation land, state forest land, is because the state preserved it. The county would love to confiscate those lands. Heck, they keep ordering $600,000 studies to "study" dissecting state forest for a St. Joe-ordered thoroughfare connecting 30A to the Hwy 98 Test Track.
Further, I don't know the details, but I know its a miracle that Topsail Preserve even exists.

Do a search on this forum for Topsail and it's all here in an old thread.

Unfortunately the road through the state forest is moving forward and seems like a done deal.

Is it safe to assume you are all about "customary use"?

How can you assume you know what land Dawn, or myself, are referring to?

The only reason there is preservation land, state forest land, is because the state preserved it. The county would love to confiscate those lands. Heck, they keep ordering $600,000 studies to "study" dissecting state forest for a St. Joe-ordered thoroughfare connecting 30A to the Hwy 98 Test Track.
Further, I don't know the details, but I know its a miracle that Topsail Preserve even exists.

Is it safe to assume you'll be condescending in all of your replies?

Our state forest only exists because a developer went bankrupt after purchasing the land from the St. Joe Paper company, it's why you see their concrete property markers on state lands.

When that land went up for foreclosure auction it was purchased and then given to the state. Topsail state preserve was given that unique distinction as the land from western end of 30A extending east had never been cleared or forested so is in fact original scrub that is hundreds, if not thousands of years old.

Regarding the road through the state forest, you can thank local "environmentalist" Dave Rauschkalb who kicked off and has spearheaded this effort. I 100% oppose the forest road.

The original post incorrectly stated that JOE was careful and never clear cut. This is simply not true. Every lot in WaterColor, Watersound and the Retreat that has a home on it was clear cut to the lot lines, however JOE required replanting after construction.

The original post also never really clarified what it is in reference to.

Is this any different than saying I really enjoyed my neighbor’s exotic car collection but then he sold them all and now I’m pissed I have to look at Toyotas? If it’s private property we are griping about then make an offer to buy it and if not then who are we to dictate to others what must be done with it?

Is this any different than saying I really enjoyed my neighbor’s exotic car collection but then he sold them all and now I’m pissed I have to look at Toyotas? If it’s private property we are griping about then make an offer to buy it and if not then who are we to dictate to others what must be done with it?

Yes it is different. And your analogy is inane.

Communities have values and norms and laws to prevent stupid, uncaring, greedy people and corporations from doing whatever they want.

Thank goodness we still have people among us who care about the environment and our quality of life and protect us from callousness.

Communities typically have laws that are set by the land owners and developers who built them. Especially planned communities which are overwhelmingly what exist it South Walton.

This kind of entitlement to other people’s property is typically not associated with Florida. New York? Sure. But that’s why people are leaving in droves.

A community CAN do it right regarding preservation while allowing for a nice place to live. I always look at Hilton Head Island for a good (not perfect) example. Has anyone else visited and knows what I am talking about?

Hilton Head requires a natural barrier or "screen" of trees, foilage, etc. between the main roads and the buisnesses behind. Example would be that the Walmart on the Island is nearly impossible to find due to no signage, etc.

Walton County has become the poster child of how to do it wrong IMO.

A community CAN do it right regarding preservation while allowing for a nice place to live. I always look at Hilton Head Island for a good (not perfect) example. Has anyone else visited and knows what I am talking about?

Hilton Head requires a natural barrier or "screen" of trees, foilage, etc. between the main roads and the buisnesses behind. Example would be that the Walmart on the Island is nearly impossible to find due to no signage, etc.

Walton County has become the poster child of how to do it wrong IMO.

Hilton Head is nice - developers pitched a fit and fought it but ended up making more money than ever becuse of demand and rising values becasue of controls. Walton County is short sighted. Grab it all NOW!!!

A lot of people come here because they've been priced out of Hilton Head. When did our goal become gentrification?

A lot of people come here because they've been priced out of Hilton Head. When did our goal become gentrification?

How is deforestation leading to new development's gentrification? I thought gentrification was when new residents/investment/capital come in to an existing neighborhood and squeeze/price out the existing residents?

I was using HHI as an example of how to mostly do it right. I would also add Fairhope to that list.

HH is gorgeous. I love even going to the Publix there that is buried in what feels like a jungle of trees. But comparing that to Walton misses the point. Every area is different. South of 98 is developed beyond any point of control. Yet you still have an huge swatch of state owned park land. And north of 98, is more or less undeveloped. So I don’t get the complaints. From 395 to the bridge over Powell, there’s what? 30 Avenue, Origins, and Peach Creek with the Commerce Park buried in a pine forest. You’ve literally got miles upon miles of undeveloped land between the state parks and St Joe land. Over the next decade they want to put a traffic relieving parkway with a bridge over the Intracoastal. So what? Compare this to any other part of Florida and you guys are spoiled.

HH is gorgeous. I love even going to the Publix there that is buried in what feels like a jungle of trees. But comparing that to Walton misses the point. Every area is different. South of 98 is developed beyond any point of control. Yet you still have an huge swatch of state owned park land. And north of 98, is more or less undeveloped. So I don’t get the complaints. From 395 to the bridge over Powell, there’s what? 30 Avenue, Origins, and Peach Creek with the Commerce Park buried in a pine forest. You’ve literally got miles upon miles of undeveloped land between the state parks and St Joe land. Over the next decade they want to put a traffic relieving parkway with a bridge over the Intracoastal. So what? Compare this to any other part of Florida and you guys are spoiled.

You're new. For starters, you don't know much about the area between 395 and Inlet Beach. On this forum you can read about new development near Peach Creek and CI church with over a thousand apartments and homes. Thousands of homes and commercial coming to Watersound and an expressway over the intracoastal opening up thousands of more acres for development.

But my concern is more about areas that ARE available for development and the unwise density and the unfortunate scraping of every square inch.

Paving paradise is depressing and counterproductive to our well being spiritually, emotionally and financially.