Conservation Foundation of Gulf Coast assists Longino family with transaction
With taxpayer-approved revenue that it collects through its Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP), Sarasota County has acquired a conservation easement over 656 acres on the Longino Ranch property in the eastern part of the county, staff has announced.
“This adds to the 41,000 acres Sarasota County has preserved over the past 24 years under the ESLPP,” a news release points out.
The property is located at 26111 Turpentine Still Road in Sidell, which is reached from State Road 72, the release explains. The land is within the Eastern Ranchlands Protection Priority Site, which the County Commission approved in 1998, the release points out.
This marks the third conservation easement acquired on the Longino Ranch, following purchases in 2002 and 2010, the release notes. “Together, these easements protect 8,060 acres, ensuring the land remains in its natural state and is managed for conservation purposes by current and future owners,” the release adds.
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, which is based in Osprey, assisted with the creation of the easement, that nonprofit reported. The Foundation notes in a separate news release that the 656 acres on the ranch brings the total conserved lands protecting the Wild & Scenic Myakka River to more than 130,000 acres.
“It was our honor to help the Longino family build upon their remarkable conservation legacy,” Christine P. Johnson, president of the Conservation Foundation, said in the nonprofit’s news release about the initiative. “We thank Longino Family Ranch for their continued dedication to protecting natural Florida, and we thank the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners and staff for utilizing the voter-approved Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program to purchase the Longino conservation easement to ensure the permanent protection of this land,” Johnson added.
“The conservation easement purchases remove the development rights from the properties,” the county release explains.
“This purchase guarantees the land’s preservation is properly cared for, even if the property were to be owned by someone else in the future,” said Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department (PRNR) Director Nicole Rissler in the release. “We take pride in keeping land natural and safeguarded,” she added.
The land, which ranchers have used for cattle grazing, will continue to serve as greenspace and native wildlife habitat for years to come, the release notes. The property, which is not open to the public, connects to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, the county release says.
“Connecting protected land to create corridors offers safe passage for animals, prevents the isolation of wildlife populations, lowers the risk of inbreeding, and bolsters the overall health and resilience of natural communities,” the Conservation Foundation points out. “This land also plays a critical role in storing and filtering stormwater, protecting our community from increased flooding and safeguarding the health of our waters,” the Foundation adds.
The Longino Ranch is situated between State Road 72 “to the north and annexed lands of the City of North Port to the south,” the Foundation further explains in its release. The R.V. Griffin Reserve is adjacent to the property, on the eastern border, while the conservation lands of the Carlton Ranch and the county-owned T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve, along with Myakka River State Park, lie to the west.
“The ranching and farming industries are an integral part of Florida’s economy, history, and culture, providing economic opportunities, supporting rural communities, preserving cultural heritage, and contributing to the state’s agricultural diversity and sustainability,” said Lee Amos, the Foundation’s land stewardship manager, in the nonprofit’s news release. “Longino Ranch, now in its sixth generation, is an excellent example of how land conservation can benefit ranchers and help ensure a productive and sustainable future for generations to come,” Amos added.
The 656 acres “consists of pine flatwoods, mixed hardwood forest, shrub and brushland, bottomland forest, wet prairie, depression marsh, improved pasture and cropland,” the county release continues. “Various plant species are on the property as well, such as longleaf pine, slash pine, live oak, Chapman’s oak, sweetbay magnolia, southern red cedar, giant airplant, chalky blue stem and more.”
Among the wildlife species observed on the property have been white-tailed deer, bobcats, gopher tortoises, burrowing owls, eastern indigo snakes, the Sherman’s fox squirrel, eastern meadowlarks, sandhill cranes and Florida wood storks, the release points out.
“Protecting beautiful, native wildlife and plants is a top priority, and this easement ensures they are protected and have a home,” said Rissler, the PRNR director.
The ESLPP initiative began in 2000, the county news release adds.
Sarasota County staff encourages residents and visitors to participate in land conservation efforts by nominating property for protection, the county release continues. A video explaining the program may be viewed here.
Interested individuals may get more information and complete a land nomination form by visiting SarasotaCountyParks.com/LandAcquisitions.
“At Conservation Foundation, we assist landowners in navigating conservation programs and finding opportunities to achieve their conservation and land management goals,” Amos added in the nonprofit’s news release. “We’re here to help.”
“Landowners interested in learning how land conservation might work for them are encouraged to contact Conservation Foundation” by calling 941-918-2100 or completing their online inquiry form at conservationfoundation.com/savemyland, that release says.