PLACEMENT: Departmental
TITLE:
title
ACQUISITION OF BAR-B-RANCH CONSERVATION EASEMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL LANDS ACQUISITION PROGRAM
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
executive summary
In November 2024, the voters of Martin County approved a referendum authorizing the collection of a 0.5% sales tax to fund the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands. On June 25, 2025, the Environmental Lands Oversight Committee, a nine member BOCC appointed citizen advisory board, met and recommended acquisition of a conservation easement over a portion of the Bar-B-Ranch property. This item seeks initial BOCC authorization to use sales tax funds for the conservation easement. Before final acquisition, separate Board action will be required to approve a funding agreement with the state of Florida.
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DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PREPARED BY: Name: Michael Yustin
Title: Senior Project Manager
REQUESTED BY: Board of County Commissioners
PRESET:
PROCEDURES: None
BACKGROUND/RELATED STRATEGIC GOAL:
On February 20, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners (Board) voted to place a referendum on the 2024 general election ballot for the purpose of leveraging a 10-year 0.5% government infrastructure sales tax to acquire environmentally sensitive lands. The anticipated total revenue from this surtax is approximately $220 million, and approximately $7.9 million has been collected to date. The collected funds are designated solely for land acquisitions within four designated project areas: IRL South, Pal Mar, Loxa-Lucie, and the Blueways. In November 2024, the voters of Martin County passed the referendum. Concurrently, Ordinance #1221 was adopted to establish the framework for this land acquisition program. The Board then appointed a 9-member Environmental Lands Oversight Committee (ELOC) to review, evaluate and provide recommendations for environmentally sensitive lands that have been nominated for acquisition using surtax revenue. The Board also approved an ELOC Manual to outline the process by which lands are nominated, ranked and recommended for acquisition.
Florida Forever, the state’s premier conservation and recreation lands acquisition program administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), has asked the County to partner with it on the acquisition of a conservation easement over a 1,910-acre portion of the Bar-B-Ranch property. On July 25, 2025, the ELOC met and scored the property, ultimately recommending that the Board proceed with obtaining a conservation easement with the funding provided by the surtax. The Board is now being asked to review the proposed acquisition, approve the ELOC’s recommendation and provide staff with instruction to proceed with due diligence, negotiations and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders. Once a funding agreement with the state of Florida is agreed upon and the amount of the County’s financial contribution is established, an additional item will be brought to the Board for final review and approval.
ISSUES:
None
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW:
This item has been reviewed for legal sufficiency to determine whether it is consistent with applicable law, and staff has identified and addressed legal risks and developed strategies for legal defensibility, as applicable.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECOMMENDATION
Move that the Board (i) approve the ELOC’s recommendation to use funds generated from the 2024 Sales Tax Referendum to acquire a conservation easement on a portion of the Bar-B-Ranch property and (ii) instruct staff to proceed with due diligence, negotiations and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.
ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Provide staff with additional guidance or alternate direction.
FISCAL IMPACT:
RECOMMENDATION
The County’s financial contribution will be determined once a funding agreement with the State of Florida is finalized.
ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
None
DOCUMENT(S) REQUIRING ACTION:
☐Budget Transfer / Amendment ☐ Chair Letter ☐Contract / Agreement
☐Grant / Application ☐Notice ☐Ordinance ☐Resolution
☐Other:
This document may be reproduced upon request in an alternative format by contacting the County ADA Coordinator (772) 320-3131, the County Administration Office (772) 288-5400, Florida Relay 711, or by completing our accessibility feedback form at www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback <http://www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback>.