FORT MYERS – The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted today to pursue acquisition of five parcels totaling 30 acres for the Conservation 20/20 program.

Four of the parcels are 5-acre in-fill parcels within Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) area in southeast Lee County.

The fifth parcel is 10 acres on Pine Island, southwest of Little Pine Island Mitigation Area, and adjacent to Pine Island Flatwoods Bayside – a Conservation 20/20 Preserve – and a Calusa Land Trust-owned preserve on the eastern side of Pine Island east of Stringfellow Road.

All of the parcels were unanimously recommended by the Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee (CLASAC). Any negotiated terms for purchase will be returned to the Board for consideration.

The Lee County Conservation 20/20 program acquires land from willing sellers for resource-based recreational opportunities such as hiking, birdwatching, nature study, photography and paddle craft launches.

The program for environmentally sensitive land acquisition and management has preserved more than 31,400 acres since its inception.

In addition to recreation, conservation lands help the county to protect drinking water, enhance water quality, protect areas from flooding and provide wildlife habitat.

For more information, visit www.Conservation2020.org.