New 110 acre parcel put into conservation

A 110-acre parcel on Pine Island is now part of Lee County's Conservation 20/20 Program .There are now over 18,000 acres in the program.The property is located northeast of Stringfellow Road approximately a mile east of Harbor Drive adjacent to Smokehouse Bay. Big Smokehouse Key, an 82-acre island owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lays directly to the east of this preserve.About half of the acquired property was used an ornamental tree farm that was badly damaged in 2004 by Hurricane Charley. ThecCounty will restore the farm back to its original native pinelands. The remainder has healthy salt flats and mangrove wetlands. The salt flats and mangroves are important resting areas for migratory shorebirds. The mangrove wetlands also act as nursery areas for fish and invertebrates. Other environmental benefits of the property include local drainage and coastal flood protection, water quality improvement, and storm protection. The County will develop a management plan with community assistance that will explore appropriate uses for the preserve, which may include horseback riding, hiking, picnicking and perhaps as a kayak launch site.The owners wanted $2,725,000 for the property, but the Division of County Lands, the agency which negotiates land purchases for the county, was able to acquire the property for $1,345,000. The Calusa Land Trust and Nature Preserve of Pine Island, Inc. (CLT) donated $5,000.00 towards the purchase of this property has offered to assist the County with the management of the property.