Contact: Paul Wingard, Lee County Department of Transportation, (941) 277-5064

LEESCAPE DEDICATION PART OF COORDINATED EFFORT TO BEAUTIFY LEE

FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 25, 2000) – Lee County has completed the first in a series of projects intended to improve the county’s appearance by landscaping local roadways.

The Daniels Parkway Landscape and Irrigation Project – which extends one mile along Daniels from Jetport Commerce Pkwy. to Chamberlin Pkwy. – is the county’s initial LeeScape project. The $310,000 landscaping includes live oaks, sabal palms and East Palatka hollies, and – in addition to beautifying an important “gateway” to Lee County through Southwest Florida International Airport – will serve as a model for future projects.

LeeScape is the name given to Lee County’s Roadway Landscaping Master Plan, approved by the County Commission in Oct. 1998 after a consultant and citizens advisory committee (the Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee) spent 11 months holding public meetings and drafting the 181-page plan. The next project to receive priority will be landscaping along Daniels from Jetport Commerce Pkwy. to Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Pkwy.

Because of concerns about the appearance of our roadways, the Board of Lee County Commissioners has committed to supporting roadway enhancement efforts and raising awareness about keeping our roadways attractive and litter free. LeeScape is part of a coordinated effort among several local organizations and programs to keep our roadways beautifully landscaped, well-maintained, and free of litter. These include:

Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee – recommends and advises BOCC on funding priority for roadway landscaping projects. Contact: Jake Slot, Chairman, at 936-3537.

GreensCape – a volunteer effort since 1995 that has landscaped more than six miles of medians and roadways in Cape Coral. Contact: Carolyn Conant at 549-1435.

Adopt-A-Road – a 10-year-old Lee County program that enlists citizen groups and businesses for roadway litter removal. In 1999, more than 120 groups (1,100 volunteers) worked 4,200 hours while cleaning 67 miles of county roadways. Contact: Adrienne Solomon at 277-5069.

Keep Lee County Beautiful – a volunteer organization that strives to protect the environment and improve our quality of life through 18 grassroots programs, including Adopt-A-Shore, the Coastal Cleanup, the Great Florida Cleanup and the Litter Lookout Program. Contact: Rudy Busch at 334-3488.

In addition, the county adopted a tough new littering law in 1999 that imposes civil and criminal penalties of up to $500 and 10 days in jail for violating its provisions.