We all love the beauty of nature, which is why we voted to tax ourselves for 10 years to purchase land that will stay in conservation forever. Conservation Collier, the name given to the group assigned the task of recommending what lands should be bought, has been busy assigning a designation of importance to each parcel offered by a willing seller. One of those parcels is the 2,500-acre Pepper Ranch adjoining the CREW land (Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed) located in the Immokalee area, and includes a section of Lake Trafford.
I rode a swamp buggy through the area with members from The Conservancy and Conservation Collier. The beauty of the land and birds and animals was breathtaking! The land in this area that we might purchase, or have already purchased along with the Audubon Society and the South Florida Water Management District, will be instrumental in preserving our future water sources for generations to come.
The County Commission has taken the first step toward the purchase of the Pepper Ranch by ordering three appraisals. We are guessing the property is worth $35 million, but we’ll have to wait and see what the appraisers have to say, and what the sellers are willing to take. Conservation Collier never negotiates. If the seller is willing (nothing is ever taken by eminent domain) and the price is fair and the appraisals agree, then the committee sends their recommendation to the County Commission for approval or denial. In the recent discussion to hire appraisers, it seemed all five commissioners saw the tremendous value in preserving this property. Stay tuned for the final outcome.
Another property Conservation Collier purchased in the last couple of years was the Malt Property on Collier Blvd., adjacent to Rookery Bay. The owners were threatening to develop the property with high rises. That would have been dreadful.
Recently the Dykes property, which shares a common boundary with the Otter Mound property on Marco Island, which Conservation Collier already owns, was presented for sale. Many Islanders saw great value in purchasing the property because it was the land Tommy Barfield once lived on. It has great historical significance, but not much environmental value. The neighbors wrote many letters of objection, while other Islanders wrote in favor of purchasing the property. When it came before the commissioners, they pointed out that they weren’t buying property for historical value, but for environmental preservation, so they decided not to buy at this time. That doesn’t mean it cannot be requested again, just not at this time. The neighbors rejoiced, the Historical Society felt saddened. Maybe there is still a solution awaiting us.
Speaking of the Marco Island Historical Society, they are so excited that a donor has come forward with a $1.5 million dollar donation, which will build the main historical museum. This museum will be the pride of Marco Island, as well as the entire county. It will be the jewel in the crown of the County Museum System! Collier County donated the land it will call home, and will donate the display cases and cabinets, all of the utilities, and staff to run the museum. The Marco Island Historical Society has raised all the money to build and will sit on the board of directors, and will probably provide many volunteers as well. There have been many contributors over the last couple of years; each one has been a blessing, for without them this museum would not be a reality. The ground-breaking takes place March 15th at 4 PM on the grounds next to the library. You won’t want to miss this event.
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