Collier commissioners direct staff to pursue appraisals on two conservation parcels from January list

The Collier County Board of County Commissioners voted to direct staff to pursue appraisals and the usual due diligence on two properties recommended in the January 2025 Conservation Collier active acquisition list, commissioners said during a regularly scheduled meeting (meeting date not specified).

The two parcels — collectively about 85 acres — were recommended for acquisition by the Conservation Collier Land Advisory Committee (CLAC). Staff estimated the combined market value at just under $500,000 and initial maintenance costs at roughly $100,000. The board approved the motion 4-1.

The larger site, identified as the Edwards Trust properties, is nine parcels totaling 65 acres. Staff said the tract includes wetlands and upland habitats, expands existing conservation lands eastward toward Picayune Strand State Forest and westward toward Hacienda Lakes and San Marino PUD conservation lands, and is used by red-cockaded woodpecker and Florida panther. The parcels lie within the Benfield Road extension study area and currently lack vehicle access; existing access would require crossing adjacent private parcels. Proposed management activities include cabbage palm thinning and exotic species removal.

The second recommended parcel, described in staff materials as Golden Land Partners, is about 20 acres of primarily wetlands and likewise expands nearby conservation lands. Staff said the first two transferable development rights (TDRs) for that parcel have already been stripped, meaning the property presently does not allow development under the TDR program; the third and fourth TDRs could be made available only if a restoration and maintenance plan were completed and the land conveyed in fee simple to a government or other qualifying agency.

A third parcel shown on the January list was placed on the C list and is not recommended for acquisition. Staff described that site as roughly one-third of an acre of disturbed mangrove adjacent to the Gordon River Greenway with limited access, historical debris dumping that would require cleanup, and an owner who declined to perform remediation; staff also said the owner currently holds permits to build a single-family home on that property.

Brad Cornell of Audubon Western Everglades told commissioners his organization strongly supported the staff and CLAC recommendations, noting the Jan. list parcels complement the Picayune Strand restoration area and provide watershed and wildlife benefits. Commissioner Hall had questioned whether the county should spend Conservation Collier funds on landlocked parcels with no public access; other commissioners and staff said acquisition would allow formal restoration and ongoing land management while preserving TDRs as a county asset if the county elected to pursue them.

Staff recommended — and commissioners approved — that Conservation Collier proceed with appraisals and standard due-diligence periods for the two A-category properties; no purchase price was set by the vote. Staff also noted that program rules and the county’s purchasing policy currently differ on whether owners must strip TDRs prior to sale, and that additional amendments to the growth management plan and purchasing policy remain necessary to clarify how Conservation Collier and the county may receive and sell TDR credits.

If negotiations proceed, any future purchase would return to the board for final approval.