Sarasota County closes on Walton Ranch purchase

BUYER: Sarasota County

SELLER: Michael Walton, individually as trustee of the James J. Walton Trust and Wyona June Walton Trust

PROPERTY: a portion of South State Road 72 and 24330 Walton Ranch Road, Sidell and additional agricultural land in North Port

PRICE: $22.56 million

LAW FIRM ON DEED: Fergeson Skipper Shaw Keyser Baron & Tirabassi PA, Sarasota

PLANS, DESCRIPTION: Sarasota County purchased the 3,759-acre Walton Ranch in east Sarasota County for $22.56 million.

The price equated to $6,001 per acre.

The ranch land will be used for habitat conservation, watershed protection and public outdoor recreation. The sale creates a conservation corridor connecting conservation land in Sarasota County to other protected land in DeSoto County.

The county partnered with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast and the Southwest Florida Water Management District on the deal. The foundation led the negotiations, while Swiftmud provided $12.8 million for the purchase in Florida Forever funds.

The Conservation Foundation had been in discussions with the Walton family since 2006 about preserving the land.