Lee commissioners vote to purchase 60 acres for Conservation 20/20 land

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners Tuesday voted to purchase two parcels totaling more than 60 acres for Conservation 20/20 to add to existing preserves in Alva and Bonita Springs.

The purchased land includes:

20.8 acres near Goggin Road that is surrounded on three sides by 1,155-acre Alva Scrub Preserve. The parcel contains scrub, oak hammock, old growth pine and is located in a secondary panther habitat and Florida scrub jay habitat. The purchase price is $186,930 plus closing costs.

About 40 acres located within the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW), north of Bonita Beach Road SE and along the Lee/Collier county line. An existing Memorandum of Understanding between the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Lee County specifies management responsibilities of County-owned properties by the SFWMD within CREW, purchased with Conservation 20/20 program funds. The CREW Land and Water Trust is making a donation of $2,000 at closing. The purchase price is $276,000 plus closing costs.

The Conservation Land Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee (CLASAC) unanimously recommended each purchase.

Conservation 20/20, which has preserved about 29,700 acres since its inception, is Lee County’s environmental acquisition and management program. Conservation lands help the county protect drinking water, enhance water quality, provide nature-based recreational opportunities, protect areas from flooding and provide wildlife habitat. For more information, visit Conservation2020.org.