Martin County is considering a new round of properties for potential purchase through Martin County Forever, the county’s conservation land acquisition program.
Voters approved the program in 2024, dedicating revenue from a half-cent sales tax toward purchasing land for conservation in perpetuity. Project manager Michael Yustin said eight properties totaling nearly 2,800 acres were reviewed during the latest nomination cycle.
"As a part of this nomination cycle, we looked at eight properties containing close to 2,800 acres of land. These properties were found in all four of our different acquisition zones, which you might remember are the Indian River Lagoon South, Palmar, Loxa Lucy, and Blue Ways," Yustin said. "And many of these properties fall within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. This corridor is really important because it's a state-recognized program that prioritizes creating connected habitats and ecosystems."
The first two properties under consideration are Hawks Hammock and Solo Properties. Hawks Hammock encompasses 379 acres and is adjacent to an existing preserve, while Solo Properties covers 139 acres next to Barbie Ranch.
Yustin said the properties could play a role in broader restoration efforts aimed at addressing impacts to local waterways.
"These projects are important because they are a part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, or CERP, focused on the Indian River Lagoon South. These projects capture stormwater runoff that is severely impacting the St. Lucie River Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon. And the purpose of these specific acquisitions is to offset lands impacted by other CERP projects by acquiring these lands," he said.
The next two properties are Big Cypress Ranch and Pal-Mar Chimney. Big Cypress Ranch covers 841 acres and could provide a connection between other preserves. Pal-Mar Chimney encompasses 1,238 acres and could help connect the C-44.
Yustin said both properties have potential ties to the Florida Forever conservation program.
"Both of these projects are or could be within the Florida Forever program. Big Cypress Ranch is considered to be an essential acquisition by the For To Forever program, and Pal-Mar Chimney is adjacent to an existing Pal-Mar footprint, so we could expand the For To Forever project boundary to include this property," he said.
Three other properties are located within the Loxahatchee zone, which Yustin said could provide conservation benefits close to populated areas.
"Laxa-Lucie is an interesting zone because it's east of I-95 and the Turnpike, and it could provide basically a greenway system that's very close to where people live, so it has value in that way. And there are three properties that were up for consideration, including the Methodist Church Parcel, the Datillo Addition, and MTN Ranch," he said.
The Methodist Church Parcel covers 6.1 acres and contains scrub habitat. The Datillo Addition encompasses 12.2 acres and is an impacted property that could provide benefits to the Loxahatchee River. MTN Ranch covers 100 acres and is eligible for a conservation easement.
The final property under consideration is a 20-acre parcel near Justin Wilson Park.
Yustin said the property could provide both environmental and recreational benefits.
"The drainage for this property feeds into Bessie Creek and the St. Lucie Estuary. It does include rare bay call swamp habitat, and we would like to use it to create a trail system extending from Justin Wilson Park and through this parcel," he said.
The Martin County Commission gave the Environmental Lands Oversight Committee approval to move forward with the acquisition process.
Properties will be prioritized based on scores that consider factors including habitat quality and development potential.
The approval does not mean all eight properties will ultimately be purchased. Yustin said negotiations will take place simultaneously, with priority given to properties receiving higher scores.
"We simultaneously negotiate. With the first batch of properties, we're lucky if we get half of the ones that are on this list. We do try and prioritize the ones that are higher on the list," he said.
ELOC will return to the board to present the properties again when they are ready for purchase.