Sarasota County purchases two parcels in Myakka River watershed for preservation
Correction: Sarasota County purchased land through the Environmentally Sensitive Land Protection Program. An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect name for the program.
Sarasota County recently purchased five acres off of East Venice Avenue and a 43 acres near North Port with money from its Environmentally Sensitive Land Protection Program that will increase land conservation the Myakka River drainage basin.
The most recent purchase, a five-acre parcel south of East Venice Avenue and just east of River Road, closed April 12 for $950,000 from the Rebecca Lee Morgan Revocable Living Trust and includes a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
On April 4, Sarasota County bought a 43.34-acre parcel off Woodland Boulevard near North Port that was already targeted as a Deer Prairie Creek Preserve protection priority site.
That parcel, known as the Burns Property, cost $1.45 million.
What is the Environmentally Sensitive Land Protection Program?
The land-buying program, known as ESLPP, began in 1999 and was funded after a voter referendum to authorize the sale of $53 million in bonds that could be paid off with money raised from a small property tax.
A subsequent vote in 2005 extended the program through 2029, raised the bonding limit to $250 million and created a sister program to acquire park land.
To date, roughly 40,300 acres of environmentally sensitive land has been protected with the funds.
Why is the East Venice Avenue site significant?
The former Morgan home site is near both Snook Haven Park and Sleeping Turtles Preserve South.
Wildlife sightings there include gopher tortoises, red-shouldered hawks and great horned owls, while the plant life includes southern red cedar, cabbage palm and pond cypress, as well as mesic flatwood and remnant scrubby flatwoods habitat.
"We have been able to acquire beautiful, natural sites with the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program,” Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Nicole Rissler said in a prepared statement. “These sites are important for local wildlife and are key for connectivity in the area."
A portion of the land may be used as additional parking for Sleeping Turtles Preserve, which is on the north side of East Venice Avenue.
Why is the Woodland Boulevard site significant?
Primarily the land had already been targeted for protection because of its proximity to Deer Prairie Creek Preserve.
Rissler noted that it is evidence of Sarasota County’s continued effort to provide connectivity of preserved lands.
The land includes pasture, marshes and mixed hardwood hammock.
Wildlife sightings include eastern wild turkey, crested caracara, swallow-tailed kite and sandhill cranes.
Preservation sites sought
People who know of a site eligible that could be preserved can nominate land to be considered for county acquisition by completing a form at https://www.sarasotacountyparks.com/home/showpublisheddocument/52181.
The completed form can be sent to landnominations@scgov.net or mailed to Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources; Attn: Land Nominations; 1660 Ringling Blvd., 5th Floor; Sarasota, FL 34236.
More than 21,000 of the acres preserved by Sarasota County are done so through conservation easements, which allow continued use but preclude future development.
A committee advises the County Commission on everything from sites to purchase and land management.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County buys two parcels with environmental land funds
