Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University is pushing ahead with a plan to turn a quiet private grass airstrip near Paisley, on the edge of the Ocala National Forest, into a pilot training site. The proposal has sparked a local firestorm, with neighbors and conservation groups warning that frequent touch‑and‑go training flights, new roads, and tree clearing on a patchwork of national forest land and private easements could dramatically change the area.
Project and federal review
The university has applied for a special‑use permit from the U.S. Forest Service to "develop and manage a current safety zone, add a fence and reroute" portions of forest roads near the existing grass strip, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The listing identifies the effort as Project #68695 and notes roughly 39 acres of potential disturbance, while saying the permit itself would directly affect about 20 acres under categorical‑exclusion rules.
Wildlife assessment
According to a biological assessment filed with the U.S. Forest Service, surveyors documented 14 gopher tortoise burrows on or next to the proposed work area and flagged several snake species as likely to be harmed by the project. The assessment also lays out road realignments, about 1.6 miles of dirt‑road work, and thousands of feet of new fencing that opponents say would chop up wildlife habitat.
Neighbors push back
Local residents and conservation groups have been pressing for a fuller review, turning the permit request into a months‑long flashpoint. A petition against the plan shows 1,940 verified signatures on Change.org, and neighbors have spent hours at planning boards and county commission meetings warning about noise, traffic, and impacts on nearby retreats.
What neighbors and the university say
Richard Graham, who owns a 55‑acre parcel next to the strip, told WESH that Embry‑Riddle had described "five planes" cycling through the site, a detail that has sharpened worries over daily touch‑and‑go practice runs overhead.
University representatives, for their part, told county leaders they would "not pursue any uses on the property other than those permitted under the existing ordinance," attorney Tara Tedrow said, according to reporting by The North Lake Outpost.
Regulatory road map
The Forest Service project listing shows the request is being evaluated under NEPA categorical exclusions, a determination reflected on the agency’s project page. Critics, including the Florida Green Party, have pushed for a full environmental review instead and argue that relying on categorical exclusions for this work limits meaningful public oversight, according to the party’s statement.
What’s next
Reporting indicates the Forest Service had initially pointed to an estimated decision window in May 2026, but says a final determination will come only after environmental and regulatory reviews are finished. Local activists have urged the agency to reopen or extend what they describe as a short public comment period, after some residents reported problems submitting their remarks, WUSF reported.
