Collier commissioners discuss, then nix small tortoise preserve on Marco Island

A second lengthy discussion – mostly about gopher tortoises - and an offer of $10,000 from the City of Marco did not sway Collier County commissioners from their previous rejection of a parcel for its Conservation Collier land acquisition program.

The property – 0.39 acres on Inlet Road on Marco Island – made the “A list” after research by Conservation Collier staff of the nominations for the program’s $20 million Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget. Purchase of the parcel, owned by Elm Grove, Wisconsin-based WISC Investment Company LLC, was rejected in April in a 3-2 vote after the seller said it wouldn't accept less than $429,000 ‒ the higher of two appraisals.

An initial appraisal obtained in December 2022 valued the property at $419,000. The second appraisal was obtained in February before the commission was to consider the purchase after continuing it at a December meeting.

The land is home to burrowing owls and gopher tortoises – both on Florida’s official Endangered and Threatened Species list. The gopher tortoise also is on the federal list. Marco Island estimates there are 1,300 gopher tortoises on the island, though a more recent study is being conducted and the numbers are expected to be higher, Brad Cornell, Audubon Florida policy director, told commissioners.

The higher elevation of the ridge Inlet Road is built upon saved the Marco Island tortoises during Hurricane Ian in September, he said.

“This is a special place. It’s unique to all of Florida,” Marco Island City Councilman Rich Blonna told commissioners.

More: Washed away: Devastation for Southwest Florida’s coastal gopher tortoises

Blonna, Cornell and City Manager Mike McNees emphasized the conservation aspects of the property that has about 56 burrows on it and said if the county didn’t preserve it, someone would surely buy it. pay to relocate the endangered animals – likely to another county – and build a house on the land, forever altering what is a perfect environment for the tortoises. Jaime Cook, director of development review for Collier County, said most tortoise moves are made to Hendry County.

“The only thing more endangered on Marco Island than the gopher tortoises is vacant parcels, which are going very very quickly,” McNees said.

Marco offer helped bring back land purchase proposal

County Commission Chairman Rick LoCastro (District 1), brought the proposal back to the commission after the City of Marco Island offered up $10,000 to make up the difference in the appraisals.

LoCastro said he didn’t think the county should accept the money, but the offer reinforced the importance and environmental significance of the property.

“It’s the importance you’re reminding us of,” LoCastro said. “While we appreciate the writing of the $10,000 check, that’s not how the (program) is set up to work … Your offer of $10,000 is what brought this back to the table.”

Conservation Collier has been acquiring properties of “high natural resource value” throughout the county since 2003. In 2002, voters approved a special tax for 10 years in a referendum for the program. In 2020, voters approved the reestablishment of a levy of a 0.25 mill ad valorem tax for another 10 years in another referendum.

Recommendations by the Land Acquisition Advisory Committee appointed by the Commission have resulted in Board approval for and acquisition of 4,664 acres in 22 project locations throughout Collier, according to the county's website.

The tax generated $26,188,806 for FY22 and $14,065,100 was allocated for acquisitions; the rest is used to manage the program. The tax is expected to generate $30,577,600 for FY23, with $20.6 million of that to be used for acquisitions.

“This is investing on an environmentally valuable land,” LoCastro said. “This is a very fragile piece of property that is already loaded with environmentally sensitive wildlife. … Our job is to support the Conversation Collier project, program.”

Commissioner Chris Hall (District 2), who voted against the purchase in December, said he still was opposed, partially because he wasn’t convinced the property is even marketable and therefore didn’t need to be saved. “You know the $10,000 from Marco Island does not move the needle for me,” he said.

Hall also said he didn’t like the seller’s attitude. “It sticks in my crawl that the seller wouldn’t negotiate and wanted to stick it to the county or to this program.”

Commissioner Dan Kowal (District 4) said, “I don’t feel comfortable taking the $10,000 from Marco Island,” calling it a double tax if the county were to accept it. Additionally, Kowal said “I kind of took it personal” that the city even offered, saying he felt as if Marco Island was questioning the county’s decision making and process.

Collier staff recommended approval. In the end, a motion to buy the land by LoCastro died for lack of a second. There was no vote.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Collier turns down Marco Island money to protect gopher tortoises