Wooden Bridges Wow Visitors on Florida's 12,800 acre Preserve
Plant City, FL (PRWEB) April 08, 2014 -- Nestled among the pines, Hillsborough’s Lower Green Swamp Preserve now boasts two Decero™ Timber Vehicular Bridges designed exclusively for the former Cone Ranch. This protected land provides a vital wildlife corridor between the central Florida swamp and publicly owned lands in Hillsborough County – which is by far the largest tract of land preserved under the county’s Jan. K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Preservation Program. Chosen for their “from scratch” approach to design as well as their commitment to green business practices, York Bridge ™ created and constructed organic wooden bridges to replace two of the three currently housed on the Preserve’s property.
Formerly Cone Ranch, renamed the Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve because the headwaters of four rivers, including the Hillsborough River originate there, this property stretches across five counties in Central Florida, west of Highway 27. The Preserve is a 12,809-acre tract owned and managed by the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. Approximately half of the preserve is comprised of native habitats such as riverine & cypress swamps, freshwater marshes, pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks. The remaining includes pine plantations and pastures that are continually being restored into native habitats.
Professionally protected by YBC, the wooden bridge’s longevity and beauty are just some of the value added components of the designing company’s York Bridge Services™, which are offered standard on all York Bridges™ and are recommended on all timber bridges to ensure low maintenance and heightened aesthetics. York Timber Protective Systems™ can significantly slow the breakdown of wood and increases the safety of vehicles and pedestrians. As part of the architectural enhancement of these structures, the custom "rounded timber" accented guiderail on the south bridge was elevated to a 54” high pedestrian/vehicular hybrid, with a complementary color palette that enhances the surrounding environment.
Seamlessly situated between beautiful hiking and equestrian trails, Hillsborough County is committed to restoring this environmentally sensitive land. Supporting the county’s crucial stance, YBC diligently protected the construction site by taking strategic steps to reduce the environmental footprint. York’s team supports and upholds National Environmental Protection guidelines with anticipation and provision – never as an afterthought. To ensure minimal impact, deck level construction can be utilized so that the equipment never touches the environment. Additionally, designing and building the foundation of the bridge outside of sensitive areas is sometimes necessary so that the environment is not disturbed. Meeting and exceeding environmental standards, York’s meticulous systems for prevention of disbursement of debris and dust in the wetlands or marshes is the leading program in the industry. Proper silt fencing keeps mud and debris from entering wetlands and/or protected areas.
Timber bridges are environmentally friendly due to the fact that timber is a highly renewable resource, absorbing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere in its production which complements efforts to mitigate global warming.
Gil Dreyfus, York Bridge Concepts, http://www.ybc.com, +1 (813) 482-0613 Ext: 109, [email protected]
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