County staff to not replenish Conservation 20/20
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reported that Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 land acquisition program has purchased a total of 31,722 acres since the electorate approved the program in 1996.
A county ordinance passed in 2021 pledged to replenish the acquisition fund so that the willing-seller program could continue to purchase ecologically sensitive properties. In 2016, 84% voted again to reauthorize the popular program.
“These properties contribute a multitude of benefits, including storm protection, flood control, water recharge, wildlife habitat, public access and recreation,” SCCF Policy Associate Holly Schwartz said.
County staff has recommended not to replenish the land acquisition fund for the next fiscal year due to economic hardships related to hurricane recovery. The county will continue to purchase qualified properties with the remaining acquisition funds, but it will do so on a tiered point-system basis.
The balance of the land acquisition fund contains approximately $19 million, with an estimated $47 million in nominated properties waiting to be purchased.
The SCCF reported that one casualty of the decision not to replenish the fund may be the previously nominated Sanibel Community Church property. It was placed on the “Tier 2” property nomination list recommended by staff and approved by the Conservation Land Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee (CLASAC) at its meeting on Aug. 20.
“There still may be a possibility for the properties on the Tier 2 list to be purchased, but it’s contingent on how the properties on the Tier 1 list are processed,” she said.
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners will adopt the countywide budget at the final budget public hearing on Sept. 16. The SCCF reported that it continues to support the county and Conservation 20/20 program and will strongly encourage the commission to replenish the program in future budgets.
“As successful as the Conservation 20/20 program is, thousands of acres of wetlands and forested uplands in Lee County are converted to high-density residential and commercial uses each year,” Schwartz said. “We must continue to strive for a balance to intensive development to protect our dwindling environment and our tourism-based economy.”
For more information on the tiered acquisition system, view the county’s presentation at the CLASAC meeting at https://docsearch.leegov.com/Home/DownloadFile/KT0000598924.