Big Waters Land Trust, Sarasota County, and The Elling Eide Center Partner to Protect Just Over 14 Acres

March 21, 2025 | Sarasota

Big Waters Land Trust, formerly Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, is thrilled to announce the permanent conservation of 14.5 acres at The Elling Eide Center in Sarasota County. The Elling Eide Center is a 72-acre preserve of rare coastal uplands which houses the largest private Asian Studies library and research center in the western hemisphere. Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) purchased the conservation easement on February 4, and the land remains privately owned and managed by The Elling Eide Center. This protection marks the 24^th property Big Waters Land Trust conserved in partnership with Sarasota County.

“We are deeply grateful to The Elling Eide Center for their commitment to conserving this special place,” notes Christine P. Johnson, president of Big Waters. “We also thank the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners and staff for utilizing the voter-approved Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program to purchase the conservation easement and ensure the permanent protection of this land.”

Located near the Vamo community along US-41, the Eide property showcases an irreplaceable slice of Sarasota’s historic coastal natural areas, which have largely been lost to development. The newly protected acreage is on Little Sarasota Bay, an estuary of national significance, protecting against future erosion and flooding, while also safeguarding critical shoreline habitat including rare maritime hammock home to many tropical plants nearing the northern extent of their range in coastal Sarasota County. The land is adjacent to the 11-acre Bayonne Preserve (ESLPP) and part of the Bayonne Protection Priority site, which protects important cultural resources and provides a small refuge for gopher tortoises and other imperiled species.

“Elling Eide, the founder of our charitable organization, was a conservation visionary for this region,” says Samuel Casey Carter, the president and CEO of the Eide Center. “We look forward to working more with Big Waters and Sarasota County to prove what is possible in the preservation of this precious land.”

Big Waters Land Trust is committed to helping landowners navigate conservation programs and find opportunities to achieve their conservation goals. Landowners interested in learning how land conservation might work for them are encouraged to contact Big Waters by calling their office at 941.918.2100 or completing their online inquiry form at bigwaterslandtrust.org/savemyland.