A pristine piece of natural
Florida in the middle of a large city will remain unspoiled, thanks to
action taken by the Board of County Commissioners. The BCC agreed to spend
$11.55 million in voter-approved bond funds to purchase 78 acres of
environmentally sensitive land near Yamato Road and Military Trail. The site
is located on the west side of Blue Lake in the former IBM corporate center
in Boca Raton."This is the best way to set
aside and preserve this valuable piece of property for our residents to
enjoy," said Commissioner Mary McCarty.
The purchase was unanimously recommended by the
County's 12-member Conservation Lands Acquisition Selection Committee, which
studies and evaluates proposed preservation sites. Part of a larger 306-acre
tract, County officials have been interested in the ecosite since 1991 when
the first of two sensitive lands bond issues was approved by voters. The
property changed hands several times, but each time the new owner wasn't
willing to sell. The City of Boca Raton acquired the tract from T-Rex, Inc.
in 2000 and agreed to sell the most environmentally sensitive portion to the
County.
"Overall this site is in pretty decent shape, and the
scrub areas are in very good shape," said Dave Gillings, ERM's environmental
program supervisor for land acquisition. "There are some exotics that will
need to be removed, but it's not a heavy infestation."
The property will be maintained by the County as a
nature preserve and passive recreation area with nature trails, restored
wetlands and an overlook shelter on Blue Lake. A cooperative management
agreement with the city, similar to one in place for the Yamato Scrub
Natural Area, is being worked out, said Gillings. The County has also
applied for a matching grant with Florida Communities Trust. If approved,
half of the purchase price would be reimbursed by the state.
County
Acquiring 