POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Hundreds of acres of a Polk County wildlife habitat, as soon as vulnerable to changing into a resort growth, are actually protected without end.
What we all know:
Pale billboards nonetheless stand on Eagle Haven Ranch, remnants of an deserted plan for a sprawling luxurious resort with cabins, a golf course, and a marina.
READ: Polk County leaders approve Lake Winterset restrictions after giant brawl
Now, the greater than 2,300 acres alongside Lake Kissimmee will stay a house for greater than 200 species, together with bald eagles and the Florida panther.
“It’s ‘Wild Florida’ at its very best, and to think about it being paved over was simply unfathomable,” mentioned Traci Deen, the president and CEO of Conservation Florida.
The land was as soon as protected by the state however was offered for growth.
The non-profit Conservation Florida labored in partnership with the Division of Protection, the USDA, and a conservation-minded landowner to purchase a conservation easement this spring, guaranteeing the land could be protected against growth without end.
Why you must care:
“It’s a connector within the Florida wildlife hall, and its worth goes past only a waterfront. It shops water throughout storms,” mentioned Deen. “It cleans contemporary water that flows down into the Everglades. This property was actually, actually vital to guard.”
Deen mentioned this effort is a first-rate instance of why our public lands should be cherished.
“As a result of properties like Eagle Haven Ranch could be misplaced without end, and this can be a property that is the embodiment of excellent conservation,” mentioned Deen. “It is magnificent.”
What’s subsequent:
Eagle Haven Ranch will proceed to endure land administration to maintain it in good well being.
The Supply: The knowledge on this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Carla Bayron.
