FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4 , 2005
CONTACT: Sarah Williams, (850) 245-2112

Florida Conserves 1,000 Acres Along the Kissimmee River

--Acquisition protects entire island from development, buffers Air Force range--

KISSIMMEE – Florida today acquired the 1,000-acre Brahma Island in Osceola County, buffering the Kissimmee River and protecting a vital military installation from encroachment. Preserved through Florida Forever, the State’s premier land acquisition program, the purchase safeguards the habitat of one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the state.

“This purchase provides benefits for both the environment and national security,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Conserving this land protects wildlife habitat and water quality, while supporting the mission of the Air Force by buffering an important military installation.”

Part of the 44,000-acre Bombing Range Ridge/Brahma Island conservation project, the 1,063-acre parcel of flatwoods, freshwater marshes, swamps and hammocks will be preserved through a perpetual conservation easement, which allows property owners to continue to use the land while protecting it from development.

The Bombing Range Ridge conservation project protects habitat for 20 endangered or threatened species including the red-cockaded woodpecker, snail kite and the Florida scrub jay. Acquisition also protects the scrub ridge -- a water recharge area for the Kissimmee River, Lake Rosalie, Tiger Lake and Lake Walk-in-Water, along with several creeks and marshes. More than 10,000 acres of the Florida Forever project are already in public ownership. When complete, the project will create a natural land corridor by connecting Avon Park Air Force Range, Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, Lake Kissimmee State Park and South Florida Water Management District lands.