Conservation Foundation Helps Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park Grow

August 28, 2024 | Osprey

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is delighted to announce the sale of 20 acres located within Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. The land was purchased by the State of Florida as an addition to the Park and is located at the mouth of Tippecanoe Bay on Sam Knight Creek, a tributary to the Charlotte Harbor. Charlotte Harbor is an estuary of national significance and one of Florida’s most productive estuaries, providing a safe space for fish such as tarpon, snook, and redfish to breed and grow.

Conservation Foundation, a regional not-for-profit land trust, initially purchased the 20-acre inholding at a deed tax auction on December 12, 2023. Though located within the boundaries of Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, the property was privately-owned and could have been developed at any time. This type of property – privately-owned land located within the boundaries of a publicly-owned, protected area – is known as an inholding. Conservation Foundation completed the 2023 purchase using their dedicated Nora Patterson Land Fund, established to quicken the pace of land conservation here in Southwest Florida. The organization’s Board of Trustees oversees the use of these funds to conserve priority land when other public and/or private funding is not available.

“We are grateful to the State of Florida for purchasing these 20 acres,” comments Christine P. Johnson, president of Conservation Foundation. “Thanks to our Nora Patterson Land Fund and all those who have contributed to it over the years, we were prepared to purchase this unique property as soon as it became available. Now, as an addition to the park, it will not only benefit local wildlife and waters, it will also expand opportunities for our community to enjoy the great outdoors for generations to come.”

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park is Florida’s third-largest state park. It protects more than 100 miles of shoreline along Charlotte Harbor in Charlotte and Lee counties and consists primarily of mangrove forests, marshes, scrub habitats, and pine flatwoods. The newly added 20 acres are comprised of mangroves, wetlands, and a small upland area.

Visit floridastateparks.org to learn more about the park and plan your visit. To make a gift to the Nora Patterson Land Fund and protect the future of Southwest Florida’s land and water, please visit conservationfoundation.com/landfund.