Lee County’s beloved Conservation 20/20 program—the one voters approved in 1996 and reaffirmed in 2016 with an impressive 84% majority—is facing a crisis.
The fund that buys and protects natural lands is running low. Right now, there’s only $19 million left, while $47.4 million worth of sensitive lands are waiting to be preserved. The law is clear: the Conservation 20/20 fund must stay between $40 million and $100 million, and when it falls below $40 million, the county is required to replenish it.
But here’s the shocking part: no money was added in this year’s proposed budget. Staff cite hurricane recovery needs, but the outcome is the same—without new funding, Conservation 20/20 can’t buy land…