The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement for a 652-acre parcel of land located near the Myakka River State Park, contingent upon cooperative funding with the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP.)
The transaction includes the property owner, the Myakkahatchee Ranch, LLC., making a 25 percent contribution toward the total cost/value. The USDA-NRCS will provide 50 percent of the funding, which is $1,636,020. The District will provide the remaining 25 percent of funding, which is $818,730. The District’s funding is through the Florida Forever Trust Fund.
This property, which is located within Manatee County, will be added to the 8,246 acres protected by the District through ownership or conservation easements within the Myakka Prairie project.
Under this conservation easement, the owners have agreed not to build any more homes or other structures. They also agreed to follow the District’s guidelines to preserve the wetlands and uplands.
The conservation easement will provide a mile of buffer to the adjoining state park and will enhance the District’s efforts to protect and maintain the water quality and natural functions of the land and wetlands system.
The Farm and Ranchland Protection Program provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. The USDA partners with state, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements or other interests in land from landowners and provides up to 50 percent of the fair market easement value of the conservation easement.