Martin County oversight panel launches land-acquisition program, outlines zones and process

Jim Snedeker was elected chair of the newly formed Martin County Environmental Lands Oversight Committee and Merritt Matheson was chosen vice chair as the committee held its first meeting and began work to implement the 2024 local-option sales tax that funds land conservation.

The committee’s Senior Project Manager, Michael Houston, told members the tax approved by voters in 2024 is expected to generate revenue over the next decade to buy or place conservation easements on environmentally sensitive lands. Houston said the sales‑tax estimate is $220,000,000 over 10 years; a different figure—$200,002,000—was also mentioned during the meeting and staff identified the estimate as approximate. The committee will evaluate nominations and recommend prioritization to the Board of County Commissioners for any acquisitions.

The committee matters because the ordinance and referendum restrict how the tax revenue may be used and because the oversight group will guide which properties Martin County seeks to protect with public money.

County staff presented four acquisition footprints staff will prioritize: Indian River Lagoon (IRL) South, Palmar, Loxaloosa and the Blue Ways corridor. Staff said the county has acquired roughly 71,000 acres historically within those footprints and identified roughly 45,000 additional acres that could be considered for protection. Staff described each area and the conservation rationale:

- IRL South: the largest footprint; staff said the area includes past projects such as the C‑44 reservoir and Allapattah complex and that roughly 27,000 acres have been identified that could provide shallow storage to protect the St. Lucie River. Much of the land identified is in agricultural use and cost per acre is typically lower than coastal parcels.

- Palmar: a corridor that extends into Palm Beach County and contains high‑quality wetlands, portions of the headwaters for the federally designated Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River, and recreational trail potential. Staff said about 2,400 acres already were acquired there and roughly 8,500 acres remain in private ownership, much of it small, quarter‑ to one‑acre lots.

- Loxaloosa: an area between the Loxahatchee River and the South Fork of the St. Lucie River. Staff reported about 6,500 acres previously acquired and about 10,000 acres still privately held that could complete greenway connections and protect pine and wetland communities.

- Blue Ways: shoreline and riparian parcels adjacent to Martin County’s rivers and lagoon. Staff said roughly 1,900 acres have been acquired and about 400 acres remain; these parcels tend to have higher per‑acre costs and can provide waterway access and coastal resilience benefits.

Staff also told the committee the program can purchase fee simple title or acquire conservation easements that preserve agricultural operations while restricting development. County Attorney Sarah Woods said lands purchased with the local‑option sales tax are legally restricted for conservation “in perpetuity” and that conservation easements or agricultural easements negotiated under the program will include irrevocable limits consistent with the referendum and ordinance.

When a property is nominated, staff said Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) will prepare an environmental assessment tailored to the committee’s ranking form. The committee will receive nomination forms, the FNAI assessment and supporting materials in advance of a ranking meeting; members will score properties on a weighted matrix that produces a 0–100 score and staff will collate those scores and forward recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners.

Houston and other staff discussed procedural steps and due diligence: the county’s Real Property Division will manage title, appraisals and closings; phase‑1/phase‑2 environmental review and other standard real‑estate due diligence will be performed as part of acquisition workstreams; and county staff will coordinate partnerships with agencies and programs such as the South Florida Water Management District, Florida Forever, Florida Wildlife Corridor and Florida Communities Trust when applicable.

On funding and timing, staff said the sales tax is collected over 10 years and the ordinance allows the county to bond up to 80% of the estimated revenue to access funds up front. Committee members urged staff to provide a bonding timeline and quarterly revenue updates; staff said it will present a bonding/status report at the committee’s next meeting. Houston said staff can start appraisal and due‑diligence work on high‑priority properties before final BOCC approval to avoid losing time‑sensitive opportunities.

The committee set a regular quarterly cadence but retained flexibility to call additional meetings. Members agreed to meet next on June 20 at 4:30 p.m. to run a “dry run” on a Palmar area parcel and to receive a bonding update.

Votes at the meeting included voice approvals for leadership: Tom Campenny moved to elect Jim Snedeker chair; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Campenny later moved that Merritt Matheson serve as vice chair; that motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The meeting record does not list a roll‑call tally.

The committee asked staff to provide comparables or informal market checks so members can assess offer reasonableness during vetting, and members emphasized transparency: staff will publish nomination materials and the committee’s scoring so the public can review how recommendations were reached.

The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for June 20 at 4:30 p.m.; staff asked members to submit candidate properties and said it will begin outreach to landowners when nominations arrive.

Ending

County staff said they will provide the committee with the environmental assessments, nomination packages, bonding updates and any partner restrictions that would apply to a property before the committee takes a formal recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.