STARK TRACT OFF–ROAD BICYCLE TRAILSBLUE SPRING STATE PARK ORANGE CITY, FLORIDAOCTOBER 2008
Mark Schweder Friends of Blue Spring State Park Inc.markschweder@yahoo.com352 281-6567
2This is a proposal by the Blue Spring State Park staff and the Friends of Blue Spring State Park,Inc. Citizen Support Organization (CSO) to develop 11 miles of expert, intermediate and beginner level single track off–road bicycle trails in the 1000acre Stark Tract of the Blue Spring State Park located 2 mileswest of Orange City in Volusia County, Florida.The Stark Tract is an unutilized, somewhat triangular–shapedarealocated north of the Blue Spring State Park main use areathat is bounded on the south by French Avenue, on the west bythe St. Johns River/Lake Beresford and the Volusia CountySpring–to–Spring Trail/CSX railway line on the east.The StarkTract is mostly scrub and uplandmixed forest withsmaller regions of scrubby flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, hydrichammock, depresssion marsh, shell mounds and someruderalvegetation within two barrow pits in the southeast corner as wellas afallow orange grove at the north apex.The two barrow pitsoccupy about 18acres andweremined as a source of sand and clay in the past. The pits have been unused for many years andmore recently have become a dumpsitecontaining assorted trash scatteredthroughout.Today, the pitsare generally coveredwithvarious types of thick vegetation with a few clearingsthat containa number of gopher tortoise burrows.The fallow orange grove is anorth – southorientedrectangle that occupies about 100 acres.Laurel oaksnow stand on most of the orange treesites. Existingsoils indicate that the grove was originally either sandhill or scrub.The grove also contains anunrecorded farmstead, site of the historic Stark houseand a known mound.The unrecorded farmstead has been identified as asharecropper’s house consisting of a collapsed residential structure and an associated barn or packing house from an undesignated temporal period with no cultural affiliation.The 19th century, post–Seminole Wars, historic Stark house site was the residence of John Stark,an early western Volusia County settler. This structure was burned by vandals in 1962 and only brick, metal as well as other building materials are currently observable on the surface.Stark’sgrove sand mound is a large, obvious feature(possibly from the St. Johns period) topped by a large live oak tree.Several other mounds, middens, cultural and historic sites are scattered throughout the Stark Tract, particularly along the St. Johns River and Lake Beresford.The 2005 State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation andParks, Blue Spring State Park, Unit Management Planconsists of two interrelated partswhich
3are the basic statement of policy and direction for park management: 1) the resource manage– ment component; and 2) the land use component.Theplan also identifies the objectives, criteriaand standards that guide each aspect of park administration andsets forth the specific measures that should be implemented tomeet management objectives.The Unit Management Plan for Blue Spring State Park stipulates that the parkis a site for both conservation andpublicoutdoor recreation. As aresult, management of the park is a balance between maintaining and enhancing natural conditionswhile simultaneously providing various recreational opportun– ities for visitors. Development in the park should provide public access to and within the parkwhile, in reasonable balance, providing recreational facilities that are convenient,safe and capable of sustaining natural systems.The Stark Property Conceptual Land Use Planmentions: 1)that the fallow orange grove should be restored to a naturalcommunity; 2) that the barrow pits should receive anenvironmental review before undergoing any enhancement; and3)a small trailhead with a kiosk should be established off French Avenue to help publicize a previously established,albeitrarely used, four mile equestrian trail asa multi–use route to potential primitive campsitesin the fallow orange grove.The Stark Tract contains several protected zones,primarily along the St. Johns River and thesoutheast corner surrounding the barrow pits. Protected zonesare areas of high sensitivity or outstanding character that must be protected from developmentthat require extensive landalteration or result in intensive resource use (e.g., parking lots, camping areas, shops or maintenance areas) while generally allowing facilities with minimal resource impacts (e.g., trails,interpretive signs and boardwalks). However, all decisions involving the use of protected zonesare made on a case–by–case basis after careful site planning and analysis.Blue Spring State Park is in an area of rapidly expandingurbanization and will continue to be a primary destination for nature–based travel and recreation. In fiscal year 2003–2004,the park had 358,837 visitors,a 19.3 percent net increase infive years.The Division of Recreation and Parks estimates these visitorscontributed $10,569,270 in direct economic impact and theequivalent of 211 jobs to the local economy. As a result, the parkshould continue to provide the recreational activitiesoffered at present as well as initiate development of upgradesor expansions to existing facilities that enhance the visitor experience and provide easily managed conditions for park staff.Volusia County and Orange City regard Blue Spring StatePark as a destination for local recreational trail initiatives.The Division of Recreation and Parks supports theseinitiatives and intends to continue coordination efforts to link local projects to the park and manage access at appropriate locations. One phase of the Volusia
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