Martin County commissioners on Oct. 21 authorized staff to proceed with due diligence and to issue nonbinding letters of interest from the board on 16 properties nominated for the county’s recently funded environmental‑lands sales tax program.

The Environmental Lands Oversight Committee (ELOC) met on Sept. 5 and ranked 16 nominations — representing roughly 9,000 acres — across the county’s four acquisition zones (Indian River Lagoon South, Palmar, Loxahatchee/Atlantic Ridge area and the county’s Blueways corridor). The board’s action grants staff authority to pursue appraisals, negotiate potential conservation easements or fee‑simple purchases and to seek state and nonprofit partners for purchase funding.

Why this matters: Voters approved a dedicated sales tax in 2024 to buy environmentally sensitive lands. The board’s authorization does not close purchases; it permits the county to perform standard due diligence and to approach sellers and funding partners, including the Rural and Family Lands program, Florida Forever, state agencies and NGOs.

What the board approved
- Staff, led by Senior Project Manager Michael Houston, presented ELOC’s prioritized list and asked the board to authorize next steps: due diligence, negotiations and issuance of nonbinding letters of interest to landowners and potential funding partners. County Attorney staff asked that letters be issued from the Board rather than only the administrator; commissioners agreed.

Properties and priorities (high level)
- The ELOC rankings placed Whitworth Farms (2,262 acres) at the top due to its habitat values and connectivity; other high‑priority parcels include large ranch tracts in the Palmar area (the Thall family partnership parcel, JR Stewart lands and others) and several nominations in the Loxahatchee/Atlantic Ridge corridor that would protect wetland and riverine connection.
- Several parcels were proposed as potential candidates for Florida’s Rural and Family Lands program or Florida Forever, and FNAI (Florida Natural Areas Inventory) will provide habitat and conservation assessments to inform final selections.

Funding and partnerships
- Staff described opportunities to partner with state programs (including Rural & Family Lands and Florida Forever), the South Florida Water Management District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (for CERP-related match opportunities) and private conservation organizations.
- The board approved using the ELOC rankings plus funding‑partner discussions to decide which parcels to pursue first; staff will return with appraisals, draft conservation instruments (easement templates or purchase terms) and recommended funding strategies.

Clarifying: this is not an acquisition vote
- Commissioners and staff emphasized that today’s action is not a final purchase. The board authorized steps needed to evaluate and pursue acquisitions, including appraisals, title work, environmental assessments and negotiations. Staff will bring any final purchase or conservation‑easement proposals back to the board for formal approval.

Ending: The ELOC’s prioritized slate gives the county an organized path for using the sales‑tax proceeds, and staff will now move into standard due‑diligence work and multi‑agency funding discussions before returning to the board with firm acquisition proposals.