Charlie Hunsicker - an extraordinary person and career

 

Manatee County's Robinson Preserve

Charlie Hunsicker serves as the Director of Manatee County's Natural Resources Department. In this role, he has been significantly involved in the development and restoration of Robinson's Preserve.

Here's what the internet indicates about his work relating to Manatee county's Robinson Preserve::

• Vision and Leadership: Hunsicker is credited with having a vision for the land, recognizing its potential as an "ecological gem" for the region.
• Acquisition: He was involved when Manatee County approached the owner about purchasing the land, which was acquired in January 2003.
• Restoration Oversight: Hunsicker's department has been responsible for the $5 million restoration project at Robinson Preserve. This includes removing invasive species and restoring native wetland and upland habitats.
• Innovative Features: He has overseen the incorporation of unique elements into the preserve, such as the artificial reefs created from Australian pine stumps and the Canopy Zone, an elevated playground built among the trees.
• Environmental Education: Hunsicker highlighted the creation of an environmental education center at Robinson Preserve.
• Partnerships: He acknowledges the numerous partners involved in making the restoration of Robinson Preserve possible, securing funding from various environmental agencies.
• Regional Significance: Hunsicker emphasizes the importance of Robinson Preserve on a regional conservation scale, contributing to a larger coastal preserve stretching along the bay.
• Accessibility: More recently, he announced the addition of an electric tram to make the preserve more accessible to visitors of all ages and abilities.

Overall, Charlie Hunsicker has played a key role in the transformation of Robinson's Preserve from a potential development site into a significantly restored natural park and recreational area for Manatee County.

How did it happen?

Manatee County acquired the majority of what is now Robinson's Preserve in January 2003. The county approached the landowner, Bill Robinson, with plans to purchase the 487-acre tract, which had been approved for a 400-home waterfront golf course community.

The purchase price for the initial 487 acres was $10 million. A significant portion of this was covered by a $6 million grant from the Florida Communities Trust. The remaining $4 million was contributed by Manatee County.

Over time, the preserve has expanded. For example, in 2012, Manatee County partnered with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to add another 150 acres to the preserve. The Conservation Foundation assisted in raising funds for this expansion and then conveyed the land to the county. The exact cost of this later expansion is not immediately clear in the provided search results, but the initial significant acquisition cost $10 million.

All of this reflects Charlie's even handed but determined efforts to bring it all together. Things like this always require a multitude of hands in the mix, but also always, there has to be one person with a singular purpose in mind to keep all the varied interests focused and on target. That was Charlie Hunsicker.