Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward set a goal of conserving an additional 1,000 acres of land before he leaves office in 2031.
Ward said he and his colleagues are always looking for new land to conserve. The city has acquired nearly 2,000 acres over the past nine years, but finding another 1,000 could prove challenging as Gainesville simultaneously tries to address housing shortages.
Ward wants Gainesville to add 1,000 new affordable homes during the same period…