Sarasota County to buy 4.38 acres in Venice for conservation

Sarasota County is purchasing 4.38 acres in Venice through its Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program. Since the program began in 1999, the county has protected 91 properties containing more than 40,000 acres through land purchases and conservation easements.

The Venice property is on Lemon Bay Drive and is predominantly mangrove swamp with some mesic hammocks and remnant scrub habitat, according to a statement from Sarasota County. Brown pelican, roseate spoonbill, little blue heron, gopher tortoises, and green and brown anoles are among the species that call the area home. The land is south of Shamrock Park on Lemon Bay and across the intracoastal waterway from Caspersen Beach Park.

While the purchase price is $350,000, an additional $93,150 will go toward closing costs, due diligence, start-up activities and improvements, so Sarasota county commissioners appropriated $443,150 for the project during a recent meeting. According to county documents, the seller is Skip Berg of Venice, who is an attorney.