Water-Related News

Lee County Conservation 20/20 completes purchase of 43 acres on Pine Island

FORT MYERS – Lee County has completed the purchase of 43 acres in central Pine Island, increasing the size of the Conservation 20/20 program’s Buttonwood Preserve to 403 acres.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted in June to acquire the land.

The land, located immediately east of Stringfellow Road and south of the Winn-Dixie plaza will allow for future public access at the southeastern portion of Buttonwood Preserve. Improved physical access to the preserve will allow for exotic plant species removal and management, fence installation, fireline preparation and future public use.

Both the Calusa Land Trust and Nature Preserve and Greater Pine Island Civic Association, provided funding assistance in support of the acquisition. This is the second acquisition to the Conservation 20/20 Buttonwood Preserve on Pine Island this year, following the acquisition of 92 acres north of Maria Drive and west of Stringfellow Road on July 8.

Conservation 20/20, which has preserved about 29,700 acres since its inception, is Lee County’s environmental acquisition and management program. Conservation lands help the county protect drinking water, enhance water quality, provide nature-based recreational opportunities, protect areas from flooding and provide wildlife habitat. For more information, visit www.Conservation2020.org