Nonprofit helps conserve 20,000-plus acres on Gulf Coast over 20 years

The recent protection of 58 acres in Manatee County led the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to pass a milestone. The Osprey-based nonprofit has now protected more than 20,000 acres in its service area, which includes Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.

“As we celebrate this incredible accomplishment, we know our work is far from complete, and we look toward the future with excitement and enthusiasm," Conservation Foundation President Christine Johnson says in a statement. "We are grateful to all those who helped us reach this monumental milestone.”

The organization's most recent acquisition was that of a conservation easement abutting Braden River Park, for which it paid $500,000, according to a spokesperson for the Conservation Foundation. It marks the 60th property the organization has conserved, totaling 20,004 acres. Officials say the easement will help protect water quality in the Braden River and therefore, the Manatee River and Tampa Bay.

Since its founding in 2003, the Conservation Foundation has prioritized projects with impacts on water quality, protecting native species, connecting wildlife corridors and providing public access, according to a statement from the organization. The nonprofit's service area encompasses three national estuaries (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor) and four “significant” rivers (Manatee, Myakka, Peace and Caloosahatchee), the statement says.

In addition to the 58 acres in Manatee County that were recently conserved, officials say these were among other recent protections involving the Conservation Foundation:

• 656 acres at Longino Ranch in eastern Sarasota County
• 64 acres at Crooked River Ranch along the Manatee River in Manatee County
• 20 acres within Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park in Port Charlotte, which the Conservation Foundation recently sold to the state as an addition to the park

Currently, the Conservation Foundation reports it is partnering with the Sarasota Audubon Society and Sarasota County to re-wild the 33-acre Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields, and it has an ongoing partnership with Sarasota city officials to restore and enhance the Nature Park at Bobby Jones to benefit both wildlife and the community.