Support Preservation of Open Space on Marco Island

If you’ve followed my campaign and first year on the Marco Island City Council you probably know that I am a big supporter of Conservation Collier and have made working with them to protect Open Space on Marco Island a priority. Citizen input during the recent revision of Marco Island’s Comprehensive Plan showed overwhelming support for the preservation of open space and the protection of native species such as Gopher Tortoises, Burrowing Owls, and shorebirds, among others. 

My outspoken support of Conservation Collier and the Facebook Ads that I ran for them during my campaign drew the ire of many conservatives. Fortunately, my efforts also drew praise from many folks across party lines who are committed to protecting habitat and preserving open space on Marco Island and in greater Collier County. 

Marco Islanders are grateful for the past efforts of Conservation Collier in creating the Otter Mound Preserve. It is a wonderful vehicle for educating citizens and visitors about the history and environmental importance of the area. 

Throughout 2021, with the support of the City Council, I have nominated several parcels of land on Marco Island for consideration by the Conservation Collier Land Acquisitions Committee (CCLAC) for preservation. The CCLAC reached out to all of the property owners and found willing sellers for most of the lots. I have attended the CCLAC Meetings and spoken in favor of the Marco Island parcels. 

Over the past several months, the CCLAC has been evaluating all of the nominated properties in Collier County for a final ranking and determination for inclusion in this year’s purchasing cycle. The evaluation process has been very rigorous and prioritized things such as proximity to existing Conservation Collier Preserves, the number of and native plant and animal species on the property, urban location, uniqueness of the habitat, size of the parcels, cost to rehabilitate them, accessibility, and finally, the cost. 

Four of the nominated Marco Island lots have made it through all of these hurdles and will be ranked on December 6th, during the final CCLAC Meeting of 2021. These lots scored high on urban location, uniqueness (rare, dry upland forest), native species (especially Gopher Tortoise and Burrowing Owls) and historical/archaeological significance. One of the lots sits high on a hill overlooking the Otter Mound Preserve and contains all of the features listed above. 

The final Conservation Collier Land Acquisitions Committee (CCLAC) ranking meeting will be held next Thursday, December 9th at 5:00 PM in the Commission Boardroom W. Harmon Turner Building (Building “F”), Third Floor. 

Please join me in attendance and voice your support for our Marco Island parcels. If you cannot attend the meeting please write or call: Summer Araque at 239-252-2979 or email to: ConservationCollier@colliercountyfl.gov.

These are your tax dollars that are being spent. Let’s make sure that some are returned to Marco Island.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rich Blonna

City Council, Marco Island, Florida

rblonna@marcocitycouncil.com, 239-300-5432