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“It was beautiful back then,” Karppe said wistfully. The undeveloped stretch of 1,132 acres abounded with deer, and Karppe said she used to see endangered Florida scrub jays. The land no doubt also held rare animals still seen on an adjacent ranch, such as Sherman’s fox squirrels and gopher tortoises. “We just saw all kinds of nature,” Karppe said. “It’s not there anymore. There’s no room for it anymore.” Environmental impact is clear The environmental damage at Rancho Bonito, an unlicensed off-road vehicle park in northwest Polk County, is undeniable. The property draws hundreds of vehicles on weekends, ranging from dirt bikes and four-wheelers to monster trucks. ....
KATHLEEN Craig and Linda Karppe live in what might be called the middle of nowhere. The couple’s family property occupies 50 acres in an area that is closer to Colt Creek State Park than to a grocery store. Their home lies in extreme northwest Polk County, roughly halfway between Lakeland and Dade City and about five miles east of Zephyrhills. To the east of their home is an undeveloped tract of 1,132 acres that appears on satellite photos as a verdant region near the headwaters of the Hillsborough River. Idyllic? Not quite. Linda Karppe says there is no such thing as a quiet or tranquil day at her home of 34 years. ....