Acquired lands

Read about five of the more significant purchases as part of the EEL Program.

• Biscayne Coastal Wetlands
• Castellow Hammock
• Oleta River Corridor
• Rockdale Pineland
• South Dade Wetlands

Types of purchased lands

The protection and conservation of these lands ensure that they will continue to thrive as natural habitats:

• 1,550 acres of rockridge pineland
• 1,790 acres of tropical hardwood hammock
• 18,832 acres of freshwater wetlands
• 625 acres of coastal wetlands
• 19 acres of scrub habitat

Proposed acquisitions

Annually, the EEL program considers proposed acquisition sites by the public. Proposals by government agencies are reviewed semiannually. Each site is inspected by county staff and citizen volunteers who are members of the Land Acquisition Selection Committee (LASC). Following a public hearing, LASC recommends sites for purchase to the Board of County Commissioners.

• EEL Program LASC Public Hearing November 29, 2022
• See the list of the proposed EEL sites for the LASC hearing

Once approved for acquisition, a purchase is negotiated with the owner. The EEL Program works only with willing sellers to purchase land. To stretch available funds, EEL seeks matching funds and partners. EEL acquisitions are available for matching grants, joint acquisition agreements, and donations. The State of Florida’s Preservation 2000 program and Florida Forever have also been important sources of matching funds for EEL.

Private property owners interested in preserving and maintaining their own natural areas may qualify for an Environmentally Endangered Lands tax exemption.

While the tax exemption program has a similar name, it is different from the EEL Program described above. For information about the tax exemption program, please email [email protected] or call 305-372-6548.