Lee County bought 467 acres of conservation land north of the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in the Buckingham area today, July 1. The purchase was made with Conservation 20/20 Program funding, said Lynda Thompson, Conservation 20/20 Program coordinator.

“This property is very important to the health of the Six Mile Cypress Slough preserve as it contains its historic headwaters. The owners donated 16.5 acres so that a crucial hydrological link between this property and the Slough would be provided to the county. This donated property will enable improved water flow to the slough, according to Thompson.

The large size of this property in conjunction with the adjacent 517 acres that the Conservation 20/20 Program acquired on May 4, 2010 makes this a highly viability wildlife area, she said. The Department of Transportation will construct a wildlife crossing under Buckingham Road when it is widened that will allow for the safe crossing of wildlife between this property and the slough.

The Conservation 20/20 program buys environmentally important lands for preservation. It’s funded by a property tax, which was approved by referendum in 1996. It is 50 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value.

Since the first purchase in 1997, the County’s Conservation 20/20 program has made 105 land purchases and the land inventory now stands at 23,805 acres, Thompson said. The Conservation 20/20 Program is a part of Lee County Division of county Lands.