FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kate Gooderham, Conservation 20/20 Advisory Committee, (239) 489-2616

Lynda Riley, Lee County Lands Division, (239) 479-8505

CONSERVATION 20/20 PUBLIC FORUMS TO BEGIN THURSDAY, JAN. 16

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 7, 2003) – Lee County is asking interested residents to come learn about what’s been happening with the Conservation 20/20 Program at one of five public forums beginning Jan. 16.

The forums are being conducted by the citizen-led Conservation 20/20 Advisory Committee and are intended to give an update on the results of the program and take input from residents about any changes they’d like to see.

Lee County voters approved Conservation 20/20 in November 1996 through a referendum that increased property taxes by 50 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value. That raises about $15 million a year to buy, restore and maintain environmentally sensitive lands for long-term preservation.

With the expected closing of a parcel later this month, more than 10,000 acres will have been purchased through the program.

All of the public forums will be held at 6:30 p.m. following the regular meetings of the advisory committee on the following dates and locations:

Jan. 16 – Cypress Lake Middle School (Cafeteria), 8901 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers.
Feb. 13 – Cape Coral Library, 921 S.W. 39^th Terrace, Cape Coral.
Mar. 13 – East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road, Lehigh Acres.
Apr. 10 – Bonita Springs Middle School, 10141 West Terry Street, Bonita Springs.
May 8 – Lee County Community Development/Public Works Bldg., 1500 Monroe St., downtown Fort Myers.

The public forums will include a PowerPoint presentation on the results of the program (land acquired, money spent, goals reached) and be followed by questions and input from citizens about what they think of the program and any changes they’d like to see made in the renewal effort. It’s also an opportunity to gauge public support for the program through a questionnaire that will be handed out.

Conservation 20/20 is a willing seller program to acquire and manage land critical to help sustain: 1) water supply and water quality; 2) flood protection; 3) wildlife habitat; and 4) passive recreation. It is overseen by Lee County taxpayers through the Conservation Lands Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee (CLASAC or Conservation 20/20 Advisory Committee), with the help of the Board of Lee County Commissioners and county government staff.

To learn more about the program, visit its web site at http://lee-county.com/countylands/Cons2020/cons2020.htm or go to www.lee-county.com, then click on “Departments” and “County Lands Division.”