Lee County purchased a 219-acre conservation preserve on Pine Island today at a cost of $772,000. The acquisition was funded by the Conservation 20/20 Program with a $20,000 contribution from the Calusa Land Trust and Nature Preserve of Pine Island. The parcel is located south of Pine Island Road along the shoreline of Pine Island Creek. It is located directly across the Creek from the Little Pine Island Mitigation Bank preserve.

The parcel has 82 acres of mangrove wetlands along Pine Island Creek, 45 acres of submerged (creek bottom) land in Pine Island Creek and 92 acres of uplands. Mangroves are important as a nursery for juvenile fish and to filter water pollutants before they reach Pine Island Creek. The uplands are currently vegetated primarily with the invasive exotic tree species melaleuca (or paper tree). They will be restored to native pine flatwoods. Once restored, the pine flatwoods could be home to eagles, osprey, gopher tortoise, beautiful pawpaw and other listed species.

The map shows the boundaries of the land area (upland and wetlands).

The Conservation 20/20 program buys environmentally important lands for preservation. It's funded by a property tax, which was approved by referendum in 1996. It is 50 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value. Since the first purchase in 1997, the County's Conservation 20/20 program has made 109 land purchases and the land inventory now stands at 24,448 acres.

Lynda Thompson, AICP
Conservation 20/20 Program Coordinator
Lee County Division of County Lands