Sarasota County buys Longino Ranch to Create Environmental Corridor

Sarasota County, in partnership with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, has approved the purchase of the 3,900-acre Longino Ranch, completing a five-year process to create one of the largest protected areas for eco-tourism on the Gulf Coast.

The Sarasota County Commission approved moving forward with a deal put together with the help of Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, which acted as the acquisition agent....

The acquisition follows the recent purchase of the 3,800-acre Walton Ranch, which abuts the Longino Ranch. The two parcels create a natural lands corridor linking core conservation lands in Sarasota County to SWFWMD-protected lands in DeSoto County.

The conservation easement will... safeguard water supplies and water quality and provide natural flood protection. The purchase also creates a critical ecological corridor that will provide regional connectivity for wildlife, including the endangered Florida panther....