(1) Assist the State's interest in protecting the resources of 

 the Charlotte Harbor area. 



(2) Unify the multitude of State, regional, and local programs, 

 plans, and policies for this area to avoid costly duplication 

 of effort and to eliminate local confusion of the State goals 

 in the area. 



(3) Provide a stimulus for the implementation of the State, 

 regional, and local plans, programs, and policies. 



(4) Provide the local governments with an opportunity to 

 strengthen and coordinate their land-use management capabili- 

 ties without the statutory time constraints of a critical 

 area designation. 



Harbor Characteristics and Growth 



In general, these objectives are designed to address the current and 

 anticipated problems and conflicts that plague the Charlotte Harbor area. The 

 governing board of the Charlotte Resource Management and Planning Program will 

 decide in the fall of 1981 if the program has been effective. The board may 

 recommend the Charlotte Harbor Area for ACSC designation if the program has 

 proved ineffective (Personal communication R. McKee, Bureau of Land and Water 

 Management, Florida Department of Community Affairs, Tallahassee, FL; Fall 

 1980). 



Bordered by barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico and fed by meandering 

 rivers to the east, the bays and estuaries of the Charlotte Harbor area nour- 

 ish and shelter some of the richest commercial and sport fisheries in Florida. 

 The beaches of Gasparilla, Sanibel, Captiva, and Cayo Costa are well known 

 nationally. These unpolluted beaches and bays draw tourists and new residents 

 from all over the United States. In fact, Sarasota and Charlotte Counties are 

 among the fastest growing counties in the Nation, and Lee County is the fast- 

 est growing county. 



Many factors are responsible for this phenomenal growth. Perhaps the 

 most conspicuous was the nationwide land sales by several large land develop- 

 ment companies in the 1950's. These companies bought large tracts of land, 

 subdivided them, and offered the lots for sale in aggressive promotional cam- 

 paigns. These enormous sales have, in effect, saddled Sarasota, Charlotte, 

 and Lee Counties with a potential two million additional residents. Among the 

 largest land sales developments were Port Charlotte, North Port Charlotte, 

 Rotunda, Lehigh Acres, Punta Gorda Isles, and Cape Coral. Hundreds of thou- 

 sands of lots in these developments were bought by out-of-state residents, 

 mostly as investments or as future retirement homesites. 



A brief discussion of one of these subdivisions. Port Charlotte, will 

 provide some insight into the effects of population growth and urban develop- 

 ment. 



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