Manatee County commissioners recently authorized the protection of more than 1,500 acres of agricultural land from development. The properties include 1,045 acres at Thundercloud Ranch and 483 acres at Mossy Island Ranch. Through a partnership with the state, Manatee County will contribute up to $2 million toward their preservation.
In a move to jointly purchase conservation easements for the two ranches, commissioners voted unanimously at their Jan. 27 meeting to enter into memoranda of understanding with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
“It is a state program looking for partners in local governments like ourselves to ensure that these easements are for perpetual agricultural use,” Manatee County Director of Natural Resources Charlie Hunsicker told commissioners at their Jan. 27 meeting. Partnering with the state to protect the land aligns with the county’s strategic plan of maintaining agricultural diversity, Hunsicker added…