HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County is finalizing a land management plan for the Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve, as part of their 10-year plan update, which includes community feedback. This year addressed how the preservation fits with the growth surrounding the area.

What You Need To Know

  • Hillsborough County finalizing land management plan for Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve.
  • SWAMP Mountain Biking Club helps maintain the property thanks to a partnership with the county.
  • The updated plan will include continued efforts to preserve the land and limitations on controlled burns due to county growth.

Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve is one of David Kemper's favorite spots to mountain bike. 

Up and down, he says every trail is unique.

“Your advanced riders enjoy the blues, and your beginners work up to the blues, so it’s probably the most popular trail,” he said.

He’s been mountain biking for more than 10 years and has worked his way up to the more challenging trails.

The preserve is made up of nearly 5,000 acres in eastern Hillsborough County.

While he loves mountain biking, he also loves the nature of it all. He’s a board member of SWAMP mountain bike club, a nonprofit that focuses on advocacy for mountain biking and natural surface train recreation.

“In addition to maintaining the two track areas, we build and maintain the single-track areas and there’s about 25 miles of single track out here,” he said.

Kemper said a partnership with Hillsborough County allows the nonprofit to help maintain the property.

“South county has been growing quite a bit over the last years. It’s really important that the county get ahead of that growth and acquire these lands for preservation,” he explained.

That growth is being addressed in the county’s land management plan update. The plan isn’t final yet, but the current version includes information on managing invasive species and controlling the number of prescribed burns that can take place on the preserve, because of the increase in neighboring development. The measures they’re taking would ensure the area is preserved.

Kemper understands the area will continue to change and the SWAP mountain bike club wants to do their part, too. “Got a lot of maintenance to do, that’s an ongoing challenge, but we’ve got a good crew that keeps up with that and really we’d like to see these trails maintained in perpetuity,” he said.

So that more people can enjoy these trails through nature.

Kemper says his hope is that the county will also take into consideration adding more amenities like restrooms at the entrance of the preserve and a bike washing station.