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Lee County Adds 80 Acres to the Imperial Marsh Preserve
Jul 2, 2007 PRESS RELEASE July 2, 2007 Lee County added 80 acres of forested wetlands and marsh to the Imperial Marsh Preserve on June 28, 2007 through the Conservation 20/20 Program. The Imperial Marsh Preserve is part of an expansive forest and wetlands ecosystem that extends from S.R. 82 southward to the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. This corridor preserves critical habitat for the Florida panther, black bear, deer, bobcat and other mammals that need large areas to roam. It also protects an important groundwater resource area that provides Lee County citizens with drinking water. The County will develop a management plan with community assistance that will explore appropriate uses for the preserve, which may include horseback riding, hiking, and bird watching. The owners wanted $7,840,800 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 $1,876,800. 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 has bought 18,173 acres.
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