A documentary highlighting the importance of the USF Forest Preserve (USFFP) is set to premiere on Tuesday, June 8 at New World Brewery in Tampa—and organizers are saving a seat for university president Steve Currall.
The fate of the preserve is uncertain as students, teachers and activists push back on USF leadership’s inquiry into development of the land. That’s why Luke Myers directed and produced “Choke Point” with his colleagues. He aims to show just what is at stake should development take place.
“Standing next to those gigantic Cypress trees makes you feel pretty young,“ Myers, 33, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Being out there, then looking at the proposed developments makes you realize how precious the land is, how we take its existence for granted. And how easily it could be destroyed.”
The 12-minute short film follows USF biologists Jeannie Mounger, Christian Brown and Stephen Hesterberg as they hike through the preserve, observe its wild wonders, and discuss why they fight to save the land with the activist group Save USF Forest Preserve. The biologists and activists will be present at the event, and there will be an opportunity for a Q&A session after the film.
The documentary is titled “Choke Point” because USFFP connects the Cypress Creek floodplain—which includes the Cypress Creek Preserve and the Cypress Creek Flood Detention area—with the Green Swamp and Richloam Wildlife Management Area. If any of the property were to be developed, animals would be unable to easily enter or leave the Cypress Creek watershed, thus choking out the wildlife there.
USFFP also connects to the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, Hillsborough River State Park, Upper Hillsborough Preserve, and Colt Creek State Park. Under the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which protects migration paths for animals, USFFP should be protected from any type of development. Still, USF is accepting ideas for construction there.
WUSF reports that the university has already received eight different proposals to develop the preserve, with plans that pitch things from affordable housing to a football stadium.
Myers says that the title is a double entendre. While it references the environmental features of the area, it also refers to USF’s exploration of development on the land.
“It’s disgusting,” Myers says. “And it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”
Myers, who graduated this spring with his MFA from USF, says he’s not surprised that the university leadership is still exploring development suggestions. He, along with other USF students and faculty, say that they were not notified when the college leadership began seeking out developer ideas for the 769-acre property (which also includes The Claw golf course). They found out instead through an article published by The Tampa Bay Business Journal in April.
USF says that it is simply exploring options that might be available on the property.
“The Request for Information allows USF to gauge interest and obtain information to consider the best strategy for a potential project that could provide greater financial resources to support the university’s mission and benefit our students, faculty and staff,” Adam Freeman, Director of Media Relations for USF, said in a statement.
WUSF added that after evaluating submissions, an advisory committee will provide recommendations to USF President Steven Currall who will then decide whether to advance to a more formalized “request-for-proposals” stage that would include a more competitive submission process.
Students and faculty know USFFP as a crucial ecosystem, supporting thousands of species of wildlife, including over 20 endangered plant and animal species. Important learning opportunities can be found only within the preserve, and the forest helps clean the waters of the Hillsborough River as it flows into Tampa Bay.
Since April, Save USFFP’s fight against development has ramped up, and has gained over 20,000 signatures on its change.org petition. In May, they held a rally in front of the preserve, which was co-hosted by USF’s Students for a Democratic Society, a group that was technically suspended by the university’s leadership for their activism last year.
Activists say that they have no plans to back away from defending the preserve, despite the university’s claim that they are just looking into options. But, they’re open to productive dialogue should USF leadership wish to participate.
“And of course we're saving one seat for @presidentcurrall 😘,” Save USFFP wrote in their announcement about the documentary, tagging USF President Steve Currall in the post.
The “Choke Point” premiere takes place on Tuesday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at New World Brewery located at 810 E Skagway Ave. in Tampa’s Sulphur Springs neighborhood just over six miles away from the preserve itself. Save USFFP says that seating is limited, and asks attendees to RSVP online.
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