Lee Commission votes to pursue purchase of six parcels for Conservation 20/20

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to authorize staff to pursue acquisition of six parcels totaling 40 acres for the Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition Program. The vote authorizes county staff to negotiate terms for purchase. Any negotiated terms will come back before the board for consideration.

The parcels are recommended for acquisition by the Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee (CLASAC). Four of the parcels are 5 acres each, and two are 10 acres each.

All six are in-fill parcels located in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) area in southeast Lee County. The South Florida Water Management District manages acquired Conservation 20/20 properties in this area through a Memorandum of Understanding. The nominated parcels are all adjacent to or within the proximity to existing publicly owned lands.

The CREW Land & Water Trust is a private, non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of the water resources and natural communities in and around the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. It is the largest intact watershed in Southwest Florida, straddling Lee and Collier counties.

In other business Tuesday, the board voted to award a $129,911 contract to repair or replace fences damaged by Hurricane Ian at 11 Conservation 20/20 preserves. The contract is with Pine Island-based Dynamic South Inc.

There are currently 31,437 acres within the Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition Program. Conservation 20/20 Preserves provide a variety of recreation opportunities, including hiking, kayaking and canoeing, horseback riding, fishing, and scenic observation areas to view wildlife.

Free guided nature hikes and special themed walks are hosted at various preserves throughout the year.

For more information about Conservation 20/20 Preserves, go to: www.leegov.com/parks/conservation2020

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The post Lee Commission votes to pursue purchase of six parcels for Conservation 20/20 first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .