ELAPP

We manage more than 63,400 acres of environmentally sensitive wildlife habitat and corridors acquired through the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP).

Management responsibilities include:

  • Prescribed burning
  • Invasive species control
  • Wildlife inventory
  • Trail maintenance
  • Feral animal control
  • Habitat improvements for endangered and threatened species of plants and animals

ELAPP is a voluntary program established for the purpose of providing the process and funding for identifying, acquiring, preserving and protecting endangered, environmentally-sensitive and significant lands in Hillsborough County. It is a citizen-based program with volunteer committees involved in every key aspect of the program.

ELAPP is not a regulatory program, but lands are identified for the program because of their environmental significance.

ELAPP brochure

Find Nature Preserves

ELAPP timeline

  • January 1987
    • The Board of County Commissioners approved an Environmentally-Sensitive Lands Ordinance, which provided $21 million over a four-year period to acquire environmentally-sensitive lands
  • 1990
    • County voters approved the issuance of up to $100 million in bonds over a 20-year period to acquire additional lands
  • November 2008
    • Voters approved the issuance of up to $200 million in bonds

ELAPP Nature Preserve Maps

  1. Special Sites
    • Blackwater Creek Preserve
    • Lower Green Swamp Addition (F.K.A. Cone Ranch Addition)

     

    View Special Sites Maps

  2. Essential Sites - Sites 1 - 5
    • USF Forest Preserve
    • Alafia North Prong
    • Little Manatee Corridor Addition
    • Brooker Creek Buffer Addition
    • Cockroach Creek Greenway

     

    View Essentials Sites Maps

  3. Important Sites - Sites 6 - 15
    • Balm Boyette Addition
    • Varn/Cone Ranch Greenway
    • Buckhorn Springs
    • Knights Griffin Property
    • McIntosh/Zack Tract
    • Walton Acquisitions FL LLC
    • Wimauma Scrub
    • Ekker Addition
    • Nye Park Addition
    • Baker Creek and Tributaries

     

    View Important Sites Maps

  4. Desirable Sites - Sites 16 - 26
    • Golden Aster Scrub/Kitchen Connection
    • Sydney Dover Trails
    • Cow House Creek
    • Lake Stemper
    • Old Morris Bridge Road
    • Pemberton Creek
    • Alafia River
    • Fish Hawk Park Portion
    • Simmons Hammock Greenway
    • Bullfrog Creek- Nundy
    • Georgetown

     

    View Desirable Sites Maps

  5. Acquired & Substantially Acquired Parcels
    • Alafia North Prong
    • Alafia Scrub Preserve
    • Alafia South Prong
    • Alderman's Ford Preserve
    • Alderman's Ford South Prong Addition
    • Apollo Beach
    • Bahia Beach Coastal Restoration
    • Balm Scrub
    • Balm Scrub Addition
    • Balm-Boyete Scrub Preserve
    • Bell Creek Preserve
    • Blackwater Creek
    • Blackwater Hammock
    • Boy Scout Portion
    • Brooker Creek Buffer Addition
    • Brooker Creek Buffer Preserve
    • Brooker Creek Headwaters
    • Bullfrog Creek Scrub
    • Cockroach and Piney Point Creeks
    • Cockroach Bay
    • Cockroach Creek Greenway
    • Cypress Creek Preserve
    • Cypress Street
    • Dairy Farm
    • Delaney Creek
    • Diamondback Preserve
    • Ecopalms (on USF Forest Preserve map - in Essential Sites)
    • English Creek
    • FishHawk Ranch
    • Florida College
    • Fred & Ida Schultz Preserve
    • Fulkerson Road
    • Golden Aster Scrub
    • Howell Creek Branch (on English Creek map)
    • Jeanie and Pete Johnson Preserve
    • Lake Dan
    • Lake Francis Preserve (F.K.A. Brooker Creek Corridor Preserve)
    • Lithia Springs Preserve (on FishHawk Ranch map)
    • Little Manatee River
    • Little Manatee River Cooridor
    • Little Manatee River Cooridor Addition
    • Lower Green Swamp Preserve (F.K.A. Cone Ranch Preserve)
    • McIntosh/Zack Tract
    • McKay Bay
    • McKay Bay/Palm River Greenway
    • Morris Bridge Road
    • New Tampa Flatwoods
    • Oakridge
    • Pam Callahan Preserve
    • Port Tampa Restoration
    • Rhodine Scrub
    • Rivercrest Park Addition
    • Riverhills Park Addition
    • Rocky Creek Coastal Preserve
    • Rocky/Brushy Creek Greenway
    • South MacDill
    • Sun City Heritage Park Addition
    • The Kitchen
    • Tower Restoration
    • Town 'N County Preserve
    • Triple Creek Ranch
    • Upper Little Manatee River
    • Violet Cury Preserve
    • Wolf Branch

     

    View Acquired/Substantially Acquired Sites Maps

Resources

Contact

For more information on ELAPP or how to nominate a site call (813) 672-7876.