State buys 34 acres in Englewood for conservation

Big Waters Land Trust has helped secure the protection of 34 acres on Sandpiper Key in Englewood, according to a mid-April statement from the conservation organization. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection purchased the land for $850,000, according to a spokesperson for Big Waters Land Trust.

The effort was years in the making, conservation officials say, and it will strengthen resiliency for the barrier island of Manasota Key.

Big Waters Land Trust first began working with the property’s "conservation-minded Realtor," Scott Polisar, to protect the 34 coastal acres in 2022, according to the statement.