Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park encompasses nearly 43,000 acres of shoreline and uplands surrounding Charlotte Harbor. It is the preservation of these water 'edges' that sustains the health of the harbor and the populations of fish, water mammals, and water birds that drive the Southwest Florida economy.
Photo:John Aspiolea
Lemon Bay Conservancy partnered with Wildlands Conservation, Inc., Florida Park Service (FDEP), and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) in order to strengthen existing environmental protections for Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor through the acquisition of undevelopable lots that are completely isolated within the boundaries of Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park.
The land on which the Park sits is owned by SWFWMD as it is a key water resource for citizens of the Cape Haze peninsula. It is managed for SWFWMD as a state park by FDEP. Acquiring the remaining parcels is not costly in dollars but very much so in time. Wildlands Conservation is executing the acquisition effort. Lemon Bay Conservancy as a land trust is accepting title. At the completion of the project, SWFWMD will assume title and reimburse the Conservancy for costs associated with the project.
The program was initiated in early 2009.
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“Cape Haze is a Florida place where the sense of wilderness and encounters with the genuinely wild persist-- where there remains the chance to experience our state’s original bounty and heritage of nature.
That’s what aquatic preserves are all about.”
Ernest D. Estevez, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Coastal Ecology, Mote Marine Laboratory
Lemon Bay Conservancy entered into negotiations to acquire the last intact shell midden believed to be
a pre-Calusa Indian village in Charlotte County...
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A project is intended to permanently protect 800 acres within the 1,432 acre Harbour Heights Community.
It is critical wildlife habitat...
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Besides preservation of land conservation, residents of Cape Haze Peninsula will benefit...
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In 2008, Lemon Bay Conservancy entered into partnership with People for Trees. Their primary mission is education through childrens programs and tree planting...
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If you would like to learn more about how you can help keep.There are many ways you can help.
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Nesting Woodstorks are among the many species found in the preserve. Photo: USFW
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2980 PLACIDA ROAD
SUITE 201
ENGLEWOOD, FLORIDA 34224
info@lemonbayconservancy.org
941.830.8922