OKEECHOBEE – Bass Pro continues to move forward with the plans to develop the Okee-Tantie Recreation Area into a world class fishing resort.

At the April 13 meeting of the Okeechobee County Board of Commissioners, Director of Real Estate Acquisitions for Bass Pro Bill Heitz said they are “actively involved in conducting due diligence activities on the site.

Work completed so far includes the ecology study, wetlands study, list of species survey, environmental impact report, boundary survey and topological survey, he explained.

‘We’ve made a lot of great progress in understanding what we have to work with there and what the land has to offer.”

Heitz said they have reviewed the availability of water, stormwater, telephone, gas, Internet services.

“We have done a lot of work to date,” he said. “We still have some work to do. We are working on a few open issues that need to be discussed.”

One issue to be resolved is a slight encroachment from the neighboring mobile home park.

Heitz said Bass Pro has received “great cooperation” from county attorney Wade Vose.

Vose said there are potentially a lot of ways to sort out the issue of the encroachment from the neighboring landowner. He said any and all resources of the county will be available to Bass Pro.

“We want to work with you,” said Commission Chair David Hazellief.

“We’re willing to dig in and roll up our sleeves and help you,” added Commissioner Kelly Owens.