A private company in Naples has donated a massive tract of land to the state of Florida. State officials say the land will be used as a wildlife habitat, as well as a recreational area in Collier County.
Indian Hill Partners donated 163 acres of conservation land located on the north border of the Picayune Strand State Forest to the state of Florida. The value of the land donation is about $400,000.
The company’s decision to donate the land was made during the permitting process for one of its future developments in Naples. The new project is expected to have a considerable environmental impact. This land grant is an effort to offset that impact.
Kelley Boree, the Director of the Division of State Lands at Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, said this is a boon for the area’s ecology.
“It helps with our hydrology and natural communities in that area of Florida,” she said. “So, it’s a really important donation to us. It’s adding connection within the Picayune Strand State Forest.”
Boree said the area is prime habitat for the endangered Florida panther. She said the land will also serve as habitat for black bears, bald eagles, wood storks, fox squirrels and swallow-tailed kites.
State officials also plan on opening part of the land for recreational activities such as horseback riding, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing and bird watching.
