ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved the purchase of a 24-acre green area on Tuesday.
The county purchased the property from the Bagshaw-Hampton family, and it will become a part of Orange County’s Green Park Land Acquisition for Conservation and Environmental protection program. The program maintains the conservation of 23,000 acres in Orange County.
Recommended Videos
[TRENDING: Florida’s minimum wage increasing | TIMELINE: Miya Marcano case | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
The green area would would add to the existing 1000-acre conservation area that protects the Econlockhatchee River, a designated Outstanding Florida Water. Under this protection, the river is considered to have “ecological significance” that surpasses any environmental, social or economic costs.
Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings said that this was the first natural land purchase in over 10 years and that it would be essential to preserving natural lands for the future.
“Our Green PLACE properties not only give Orange County residents beautiful places to hike, relax and observe wildlife, they also help prevent wildfires, reduce flooding, and keep our air, lakes and waterways clean,” Demings said.
The land approval comes after an Orange County 2021-2022 budget release that included a $100 million commitment toward land-held conservation by 2030.