At an Oct. 21 Martin County Commission meeting, commissioners voted to move forward with potential land acquisitions under the Martin County Forever Land Acquisition Tax program.
Funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in November 2024, the conservation program is dedicated to protecting the county’s natural resources.
Sixteen properties were ranked by the Environmental Land Oversight Committee (ELOC), with the four highest-ranked being Whitworth Farms, the Elise J. property, the Thall Family Partnership property, and the Perry Beach Addition.
Additional properties ranked by the committee include Palm Beach Heights, the Kresser parcel, the Burstein/Hixon parcel, the Jane Wild parcel, SS Farms, the Leonard property, JR Stuart Land, Turnpike Dairy, the Rogers Atlantic Ridge property, Poinciana Gardens, the Pettway property, and Rodgers – The Conservation Fund property.
Commissioners reviewed the list of 16 properties, along with 12 others, to determine which to advance for consideration.
Michael Yustin, senior project manager for the county, provided details on each property.
“These properties were represented in all four acquisition zones that we previously established,” Yustin said. “Which included the Indian River Lagoon South, Pal-Mar, Loxa-Lucie, and the Blue Lakes.”
The Thall Family Partnership property, among the top-ranked, falls within the Pal-Mar acquisition zone.
“This is one of our larger contiguous properties that was brought forward — it’s a 1,499-acre property that has a large cypress and slough wetland system,” Yustin said.
The Thall property extends from the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Okeechobee. Yustin said it would act as a missing link between the Hungryland and Corbett conservation properties.
Another top-ranked parcel, the Elise J. property, also lies within the Pal-Mar acquisition zone.
“The unique thing is that to the north of that is Harmony Ranch, which is already acquired and is being protected,” Yustin said. “With the acquisition of Elise J., we could have a contiguous conservation network that extends from Harmony Ranch down into Hungryland.”
Whitworth Farms is located within the Loxa-Lucie acquisition zone.
“This is a 2,262-acre property that’s a mixture of pastures, high-quality pine flatwoods, and hydric hammock,” Yustin said.
The property would provide a protected land corridor from Cove Road to the south county line.
“In addition, and also of utmost importance, it is bisected by the South Fork of the St. Lucie River,” Yustin said. “It would help create an ecological corridor and optimum boundary for Atlantic Ridge State Park.”
The final highly ranked property discussed was the Perry Beach Addition, the smallest at just one acre.
“It includes beach habitats and mangroves,” Yustin said. “It’s unique in that it extends all the way across Hutchinson Island and that it’s adjacent to an existing county preserve, which is Clifton S. Perry Beach.”
Yustin said several factors go into determining which lands are viable, including the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), which labels acquisition priorities. Other guiding frameworks include the Florida Wildlife Corridor, the Florida Forever Plan, and the Atlantic Ridge Florida Forever Program, each outlining acquisition priorities.
By those metrics, Whitworth Farms ranked as the highest priority among all potential acquisitions. However, Yustin and the ELOC recommended that all 16 be approved as potential acquisitions.
Commissioner J. Blake Capps expressed strong support for the recommendations.
“I have great confidence in the process for these acquisitions and the people involved,” Capps said. “When I think of the Martin County difference, the word ‘conservation’ is what it’s all about.”
Other commissioners echoed Capps’ sentiment, commending the efforts of the ELOC team in researching the proposed properties.
A motion to move all 16 properties forward passed unanimously.