BARTOW | Polk County’s environmental land puzzle is missing some pieces and county officials are looking for advice on finding the best way to fill the gaps.

The information will be included in something called the Polk County Greenprint.
Gaye Sharpe, the county’s natural areas manager, said the idea is to recognize natural areas that may merit purchase or protection through other means, such as conservation easements.

This will also be a good planning tool to guide where development and development-related projects such as new roads are compatible or incompatible.

She said she hopes the map, which carries no regulatory restrictions, will allow the county to do more to deal with protection of water resources ranging from stream systems to aquifer recharge areas.

Polk’s map is a refinement of the regional map developed by myregion.org, an Orlando-based effort involved in, among other things, guiding development in eastern Central Florida away from natural areas and toward urban areas.

To aid the effort, Sharpe told the county’s Conservation Land Acquisition and Selection Committee that a subcommittee that would include a committee member, county staffers and other technical experts would be helpful.

Committee members voted unanimously recently to approve the establishment of the subcommittee.

Winter Haven environmentalist Chuck Geanangel will represent the committee on the panel.

Jeff Spence, the county’s natural resources director, said the map will help county officials and others to pinpoint areas where conservation easements will be appropriate under Polk’s Rural Land Stewardship Program.

“It will be a long-term planning tool as the program matures,’’ he said.

Sharpe said she hopes to have the mapping assembled later this year.