In the early 2000s a group of citizens incorporated as the Babcock Preservation Partnership to lobby for the State acquisition of the 91,361 acres of the Babcock families land in Charlotte and Lee County. The State of Florida successfullly acquired a large portion of the property, Babcock Ranch development purchased part of it to create the Babcock Ranch community, and 5,620 acres was acquired through our Conservation 20/20 program. With two additional purchases, Bob Janes Preserve is the largest Conservation Preserve, totaling 5895 acres. The preserve includes large swaths of cypress swamp, wet prairie, several creeks, freshwater marshes scrubby and wet flatwoods. 10-miles of marked hiking trails can be accessed via the Telegraph Creek Preserve entrance at 16451 North River Road. Equestrians can access the trail system via the Telegraph Creek Preserve entrance at Argo Drive off North River Road.
A water quality restoration project began in March 2026 and be completed by March 2027. This will rehydrate and extend hydroperiods in the cypress sysems and retrofit former agricultural ditches. Portions of the preserve have been established as an FWC permitted tortoise recipient site for Lee County government projects. This will keep tortoises in Lee County instead of relocating them to other parts of the state. Bicycles and dogs are not allowed at this preserve. The biking trails at Caloosahatchee Regional Park are located 2 miles east of the Telegraph Creek Preserve entrance. In 2009, the preserve was renamed Bob Janes Preserve in recognition of Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes. Commissioner Janes, who passed away in 2010, was instrumental in the county’s efforts to successfully acquire the land for the preserve.
The preserve was originally managed in conjunction with the adjacent state preserve property by Babcock Ranch LLC, a private corporation, and later managed by the Florida Forest Service. In 2016, the Lee County Board of Commissioners voted to transfer all management functions of this property to the county.
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