Preserve

The Black Lake Properties are in eastern Orange County and comprise six adjacent parcels totaling 80 acres of wetlands. These wetlands are significant for groundwater aquifer recharge and essential for springs and water supply.

The Bronson & Fairchild Liquidating Trust parcel totals 20.85 acres that preserve environmentally sensitive lands adjacent to an extensive network of existing conservation easements in District 1.

CH Enterprises Property (32 acres) in west Orange County contains diverse habitats, from wet prairie, a disappearing habitat in the county and state, and uplands that meet criteria (location, soil, elevation) for imperiled sand skink to be present. The preservation of this land helps close gaps between other publicly owned lands and enhance the existing wildlife corridor between Lake Apopka and Johns Lake Conservation Area.

The preservation of the 163.7-acre parcel located in east Orange County added to an existing ecological corridor totaling over 300,000 acres spanning across, Orange, Brevard, Seminole, and Volusia counties, which includes Charles H. Bronson State Forest, Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, Orlando Wetlands and Little Big Econ State Forest. The property will preserve the rare habitat of wet prairie, provide water resource protection, and enhance the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Lastly, the parcel will provide nature-based recreational opportunities which will provide the continuation of Charles H. Bronson State Forest and the Little Big Econ River Forest trail systems when the property opens to the public.

The Huynh Property contains important uplands where there is high likelihood of imperiled species presence and will enhance the wildlife corridor in west Orange County.

Orange County Environmental Protection Division purchased the property in the 1990s and 2022. The property’s habitats include pine flatwoods, cypress domes, and freshwater marsh. The Econlockhatchee River runs through the middle of the property. The property was named in honor of Ken Bosserman, a longtime advocate for the protection of the Econlockhatchee River. This property is actively being assessed for potential nature-based recreation opportunities.

Preserving this 5-acre parcel in east Orange County adds to an existing ecological corridor of 9,000 plus acres, including Hal Scott Preserve, Pine Lily Preserve, Long Branch, and Hidden Pond Preserve. The property preserves the rare wet prairie habitat, protects water resources, and enhances an existing wildlife corridor.

These parcels represent the first parcels purchased under the Green PLACE Program that preserve a rare upland habitat known as scrub. Lewis-Gress is ecologically significant in continuing the linkage of other Green PLACE properties in conservation, some of which include Greeneyes Wildlife Preserve, Lake Lucie Conservation Area, Neighborhood Lakes, and Sandhill Preserve. This property is actively being assessed for potential nature-based recreation opportunities.

The preservation of Narut-Stucki-Condrey adds to an existing 300,000-acre publicly owned corridor of conservation areas in Orange, Seminole, Brevard, and Volusia counties. Identified by the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation as a parcel with rapidly disappearing habitats, the Narut-Stucki-Condrey Property preserves wet prairie and scrub habitats and provides water resource protection within the St. Johns River Basin. This property is actively being assessed for potential nature-based recreation opportunities.

The donation of the New York Ave Property helps extend the preservation of Orange County’s Hal Scott Preserve and Park.

NIT Property is in the northeastern portion of Orange County, adding to an existing 1,000-acre publicly owned corridor of conservation areas in Orange and Seminole counties. The property has a known Bald Eagle nest on the site and will provide significant water resource protection within the Econlockhatchee River Basin.

The Nunnally-Evans parcel is regionally significant because it protects the floodplain of the Econlockhatchee River. The parcel is comprised of three different natural communities: hydric hammock, floodplain swamp, and blackwater stream. These are common natural communities associated with the Econlockhatchee River, an Outstanding Florida Water.

Orange Acres comprises 40 parcels totaling 55 acres of preserved land in the Bithlo area. The lands fill the gaps between publicly owned lands from Hal Scott Preserve to Charles H Bronson State Forest. The properties conserve natural communities consisting of wet and mesic flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, forested wetlands, and depression marshes and protect groundwater resources in the area.

The preservation of this 19.5-acre parcel located in east Orange County adds to an existing ecological corridor of over 9,000 acres which includes Hal Scott Preserve and Park, Pine Lily Preserve, Long Branch and Hidden Pond Preserve. The Pryce Property provides water-resource protection and protection of a diverse range of ecosystems, enhances an existing wildlife corridor, and provides nature-based recreational opportunities, including the continuation of a route for the Florida National Scenic Trail from Pine Lily Preserve to Savage/Christmas Creek Preserve.

The Ranger Property is regionally significant for its water-resource protection value within the Econlockhatchee River Drainage Basin. Additionally, this property is at the southeastern extent of an ecological corridor of public lands which include Hal Scott Preserve, Long Branch, and Pine Lily Preserve.

This 2.3-acre parcel located in west Orange County closes gaps between other publicly owned lands and enhance an existing wildlife corridor that includes Johns Lake Conservation Area and Oakland Nature Preserve. By protecting these uplands, the property provides habitat protection for imperiled species, water resource protection, aquifer recharge, and floodplain storage.

The Song Property helps preserve the shoreline of Lake Lousie. This property is actively being assessed for potential nature-based recreation opportunities.

The Sunflower and Vienna Properties are regionally significant as they protect the floodplain of the Econlockhatchee River. The parcels are comprised of three different natural communities: hydric hammock, floodplain swamp, and blackwater stream. These are common natural communities associated with the Econlockhatchee River, an Outstanding Florida Water.

The TM/Econ Mitigation Bank is a 5200-acre mitigation bank comprised of four different phases. Orange County’s portion, Phase IV, totals 1,334 acres and was purchased by the County to assist both public and private entities offset impacts from their projects through the purchase of Uniform Mitigation Assessment Methodology (UMAM) credits. Due to its location within the Econlockhatchee River Drainage Basin and relative landscape, the site was ideal for the establishment of a regionally significant mitigation bank based on its unique land features and occurrence of imperiled species. The Bank in its entirety consists of large, forested wetland systems and pine flatwoods, interspersed with a mixture of grasslands, rangelands, and shrub/brush community habitat types.

The ecological importance of this site becomes more evident as the surrounding watersheds become more urbanized. The TM/Econ Mitigation Bank provides a unique opportunity to combine regionally significant conservation lands and preserve a large intact system with long-term opportunities for maintaining wetland and upland ecological functions.

The preservation of Tran Family Trust Properties added to the existing 300,000-acre publicly owned corridor of conservation areas. The properties are another significant step in acquiring lands identified by the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation as critical to provide wildlife linkages. Additionally, the northeastern property contains a rapidly disappearing habitat of wet prairie.

The donation of these two parcels, totaling 28 acres, has allowed Green PLACE to preserve threatened mixed scrub-shrub wetlands and marshes in northern Orange County. This property is actively being assessed for potential nature-based recreation opportunities.

Six properties within the Wedgefield subdivision (roughly 8 acres) were donated to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. The donated properties provide habitat protection for imperiled species, water resource protection, aquifer recharge, and floodplain storage.