After public backlash to the potential sale of the Chassahowitzka River campground, Citrus County commissioners Tuesday evening approved a deal to ensure it stays publicly owned and accessible for the next 40 years.
The decision came after five hours of unrelated county discussions at a commission meeting, as supporters for the campground waited for their turn. Finally, an open public comment period gave them their chance, as a handful of residents told stories of how paddling on the serene waters of the Chassahowitzka River made them fall in love with Florida, or helped them heal from a divorce or death in the family.
Dennis Blauer, the camp’s general manager — who three weeks ago thought he was out of a job — also spoke.
“The Chassahowkitzka is a gateway to the wilderness, just like camping is the gateway to appreciation and conservation of nature,” he said.
Commissioners approved the agreement 5-0, to applause.
Under the 40-year agreement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the district will continue to own the land, but the county will take over operations and management of the campground. The county will foot the bill for those daily operations, though the district will chip in $200,000 for repairs. In return, the county gets to keep the revenue from things like campsite reservations and boat rentals.
The water management district is now expected to take up approval of the agreement at its next meeting Sept. 23, the last step for it to take immediate effect.
“I’ve been kayaking on the Chaz multiple times, and it is incredibly special,” said Citrus County Commissioner Holly Davis before the unanimous vote.
Uncertainty over the campground’s future began on Aug. 15 when the Southwest Florida Water Management District, a state government entity that owns the land, announced on Facebook that the campground was closing at the end of September.
The district blamed extensive damage from last year’s hurricanes and said the campground would need to close for thorough assessments on a camp store and a front deck that were hit hard by the storms.
But officials also hinted that the campground could be sold.
Why could Florida sell the Chassahowitzka River Campground?
Adding to the public’s nervousness was the district’s claim that, while the campground is a popular recreational area, it “has not been used for conservation purposes.” Conservationists and longtime camp-goers argued that spending time at the site encouraged people to want to protect it.
If a private individual or company bought the land, residents worried about what the riverside oasis could become.
Ryan Worthington, a Florida master naturalist and environmental advocate, helped organize a rally Saturday near the campground to show governmental leaders that there is broad support for keeping the site running.
About 60 people showed up, Worthington said, and there was a steady stream of drivers honking horns to show their support.
“I believe the combination of phone calls, emails, and social media contacts has made it clear that the public didn’t want the sale of the campground and its closure,” Worthington said in a text.
Commission chairperson Rebecca Bays agreed, telling the Tampa Bay Times that the new agreement is “exactly what the public is looking for.”
“There was a real outcry from people that did not want the campground sold,” she said. “I think people are very happy that we’re going to take over control of the campground.”
Bays said the solution came together easily as both the county and the water managers worked together to come up with the agreement.
State Rep. J.J. Grow, R-Inverness, helped broker the deal and said as long as the water management district votes yes in a couple weeks, the campground won’t shut down Oct. 1 as the district had previously announced. That means campers will no longer lose their fall reservations.
“Let’s face it, we live in Florida. We have a lot of beautiful things we can see and do, but a lot of them cost a lot of money,” Grow said in a phone interview.
“For a family to simply be able to go over and camp out at what I consider to be one of the most beautiful spots of Old Florida, and do it relatively cheap and be able to experience what all of Florida used to look like … I just didn’t want to lose any of that.”
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