New Parrish nature preserve is the first of many for Manatee County. Here’s a preview

A voter-backed vision to preserve some of Manatee County’s remaining natural spaces is taking shape with plans for a new nature preserve in Parrish.

The Board of County Commissioners approved the purchase of Crooked River Ranch, located south of Old Tampa Road between Interstate 75 and Fort Hamer Road, on Dec. 12 for a price of $11.2 million.

The 68-acre property sprawls along the north side of the Manatee River.

It’s the first land buy at the direction of a local conservation referendum passed in 2020 with majority and bipartisan support.

The program is funded by up to $50 million in bond funds. It generates $6 million to $7 million a year from a 0.15 mill property tax, with a cost of about $45 a year for the average homeowner.

Thanks to voters, many more preserves are on the way, Manatee County natural resources staff say. With guidance from a citizen volunteer group — the Environmental Land Management and Acquisition Committee — the park planners have identified eight other potential conservation sites as priorities.

‘More Robinson Preserves’

The voter referendum was a clever answer to the age-old local government problem of the chronically underfunded parks department.

“It’s great because we’re not competing with other public needs,” said Debra Woithe, the county’s environmental lands division manager.

With any luck, it will provide the county’s park planners with a self-sustaining bank for future conservation efforts. Hit withdraw to save Old Florida.

“With 29,000 acres behind us, we’ve seen great success at introducing a preserve experience that rivals any state or national park,” Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker said.

“Let’s build more Robinson Preserves along our coast,” he added. “Let’s make it possible for scrub jays to survive. Let’s bring oysters back to the Manatee River. We’re able to do all those things because the voters had confidence in our abilities.”

County shares vision for Crooked River Ranch

One factor that made the Crooked River Ranch property so appealing to ELMAC and county staff was the diversity of habitats at the site.

It’s dominated by a 33-acre, wooded upland ecosystem — think oaks, cabbage palms and saw palmettos.

Woods give way to 15 acres of wetlands, where the property stretches 2,400 feet along the north side of the Manatee River. The area includes estuary habitat, salt marsh and mangrove forest.

“It’s unique in that it is one of the last large private land holdings in the area,” Woithe said.

Parts of the property have been left undisturbed, allowing some increasingly rare native flora — like the butterfly orchid — to thrive.

Designs for the preserve have not entered the planning stages yet, but county staff say they envision a small parking lot with restrooms and trailheads that “lead off and wander through several different types of beautiful habitat.”

Other ideas include an observation platform to look out at the Manatee River, a kayak launch and a small campground available by reservation.

The other large chunk of the preserve — about 22 acres — is rangelands that have supported a small herd of cattle. Those present a chance for land restoration efforts, Woithe and Hunsicker said.

They anticipate that completion of the preserve will take about 18 months after the county closes on the property early this year.

Crooked River Ranch history

Crooked River Ranch was owned by William and Janet Hunter, who left the land in a trust to their children when they died.

According to William’s obituary, he was an ophthalmologist who worked and lived in St. Petersburg and liked to hunt in his spare time. He bought the acreage in Manatee County as a “rural respite.”

“Crooked River Ranch was his slice of Old Florida and his favorite place to unwind,” his obituary says.

The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast connected the county with the Hunter family.

“The quality and uniqueness of this property ranks with the best of Manatee County we have helped to preserve,” Debi Osborne, the foundation’s director of land protection, said at the Dec. 12 board meeting. “It’s the perfect combination of natural and recreational opportunities.”

“My parents would be overjoyed to witness it become a haven to the public,” said the Hunter’s daughter, Elizabeth Skidmore. “I’m grateful we are here and we are making this happen.”

Under a proposed agreement with the county, the Hunter descendants would retain a 3-acre piece of the property for recreation for up to 35 years.

More Manatee County nature preserves planned

ELMAC and county staff continue to hone in on other possible conservation properties.

Sometimes exciting candidates don’t work out, Woithe said.

One such case was the Mixon Fruit Farms property, which owners Janet and Dean Mixon hoped might become a public park.

“We worked so hard to try to find a way to pull that off,” Woithe said. “It was a huge sense of defeat.”

Factors including the cost of the property and the amount of restoration it required would have strained the land conservation budget.

“There was also a reclaimed water pipeline that borders the creek that we realized was going to prevent us from preserving that creek,” Woithe said.

The 1,800-acre Parrish Farm Preserve has also been taken out of the running.

But other lands that are still on the table present big conservation opportunities.

One grouping of properties comprising about 240 acres on the Manatee River is being referred to as Gamble Creek Preserve.

It includes the Gospel Crusade property, a former Christian retreat.

Hunsicker said the preserve would offer hiking trails and paddling opportunities in an undeveloped part of the county.

“It’s one of the only tributaries of the Manatee River unencumbered by any human structures,” Hunsicker said. “It will remain very much a wild land — an opportunity for canoers, kayakers and hikers to touch Old Florida in all of its glory.”

Another land buy moving towards completion is a 97-acre expansion of Emerson Point Preserve that would offer opportunities for additional recreation and habitat restoration where Tampa Bay meets the Manatee River.

County staff said they hope to present purchase contracts for Gamble Creek and Emerson Point to commissioners early this year.

‘Now is the time’ for conservation, county staff say

Hunsicker tapped Woithe to lead the county’s land acquisition efforts after the referendum passed.

The job entails seeking grants, working with land trusts and courting landowners who consider selling their property. The competition is stiff — many could easily sell their land for development instead.

“We call and find out if they’re interested in the program. We only work with willing sellers, and they don’t have to commit to anything up front,” Woithe said.

Many are eager to participate.

With good planning, the county can get reimbursed for some of the land buys through programs like Florida Forever, freeing up more money for conservation.

County staff also hope to create and add to existing wildlife corridors that conservationists say are crucial for the survival of Florida’s native plants, animals and ecosystems. It’s a race against development.

“Now is the time. You can’t wait,” Woithe said of snapping up conservation land. “We can still get the balance we want with nature and make those connections. But the pressure is not going to let up.”