SFWMD Dedicates Billy G. Cobb Memorial Trail at Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed
New trail honors longtime landowner whose property includes trail
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| SFWMD Governing Board Member and Big Cypress Basin Board Chairman Rick Barber talks with hikers on the new Billy G. Cobb Memorial Trail. Click on the image to see a larger version. |
Bonita Springs, FL - The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) celebrated the latest addition to its vast inventory of public recreational offerings, the Billy G. Cobb Memorial Trail in the Southern Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW).
"The Cobb family deserves this dedication and the people of South Florida deserve to be able to use all public lands for recreational purposes," said SFWMD Governing Board Member and Big Cypress Basin Board Chairman Rick Barber. "My wife and I love to hike and the fact that one more trail has opened in our backyard for us and the public to enjoy certainly makes us very happy."
Barber dedicated the trail on Friday and took members of the media and public on a group hike along the new 1.5-mile marked loop hiking trail to enjoy its natural beauty and abundant wildlife such as the bonneted bat, fox squirrel and Florida panther.
The trail is named for Billy G. Cobb, now deceased, whose family has owned land in the Southern CREW region for generations. The family's land includes part of the public access hiking trail.
About Southern CREW
SFWMD started a $3 million restoration project on approximately 4,100 acres in southern Lee County in February 2016, completing the work last May. The District improved the hydrology and ecology of the land, including about 256 acres of wetlands and upland habitat. The District also degraded 10 miles of old roads, removed spoil piles, filled in former drainage ditches and canals, degraded berms, removed exotic vegetation and took other steps to restore the natural habitat of the area.
In addition to the Billy G. Cobb Memorial Trail, SFWMD plans for future recreational offerings on the land, including biking and equestrian trails as well as picnicking and camping facilities.
For more updates on SFWMD's work:
