Manatee County Receives 200-acres Near Port for Preservation

State money for environmentally sensitive lands has virtually dried up — from local basin boards to state funds the resources to set aside lands are disappearing. Still, this week the County was able to set aside 200-acres of environmentally sensitive lands near the Manatee County port thanks to a donation from Gulf Stream Natural Gas, LLC.

The property, surrounded by agricultural and industrial uses is valued at about $4.4 million. The county's Natural Resources Department will keep the land in its natural state, helping to protect the Tampa Bay watershed, native plant and wildlife habitat.

Gulf Stream bought the land for more than $1 million in 2001 to mitigate impacts to wetlands as part of laying its natural gas pipeline.  As part of the mitigation work, the company put another $3 million into restoring the land and removing invasive species. This week the county announced that the company sold the land to the county for $1. In addition, the natural gas company gave the county $50,000 to maintain the land over the next three years. The company donated additional money to build a bat house to help with mosquito control.

The county will follow designs and recommendations from the University of Florida to provide habitat for a potential bat colony.

"During times of necessary government cutbacks and the virtual elimination of Florida Forever land conversation money and a total loss of Manatee Basin Board dollars, along came this opportunity that we gladly accepted to protect the environment there and in the lower Tampa Bay area," said Charlie Hunsicker, director of the county's natural resources department. "The benefits don’t come any easier than this to assure a permanent sanctuary for plants and animals to coexist with surrounding uses of farming and the industrial activites ingrained with the port and the future road expansion to connect the Port with I-75."

Earlier this year, the county turned down an opportunity to expand Robinson Preserve and to acquire land along the Braden River for preservation because of cutbacks in local and state budgets. This donation allows the county to continue to preserve environmentally sensitive lands.