Lakewood Ranch spans the Sarasota-Manatee county line, and voters on both sides will see conservation funding measures on their Tuesday, Nov. 3, ballots.

The measures would extend or expand programs used to acquire and preserve environmentally sensitive land in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

What Sarasota County voters will decide

In Sarasota County, voters will decide two questions involving the county's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program and Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program.

The first would continue the existing 0.25-mill property tax and the programs for 20 years, through Dec. 31, 2049. The second, which would take effect only if the first question passes, would authorize Sarasota County to issue up to $250 million in additional bonds to acquire and manage environmentally sensitive lands and parkland.

Since the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program began in 1999, Sarasota County has protected about 42,000 acres across 101 properties through purchases and conservation easements, according to Sarasota County.

The Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program has acquired 31 properties totaling about 143 acres to expand parks and improve connections to trails, waterways and beaches.

The group Sarasota County Forever, which is campaigning in support of the measures, also provides the text of both ballot questions and information about the conservation programs.

What Manatee County voters will decide

In Manatee County, a separate referendum would provide another round of funding for the county's Environmental Lands Program.

The measure would authorize up to $75 million in general obligation bonds and levy an additional 0.16-mill property tax to acquire, improve and maintain conservation lands and other property interests.

The Trust for Public Land estimated the tax would cost the median Manatee County homesteaded property owner about $34 a year, as first reported by the Bradenton Herald.

The Manatee County Commission voted July 28 to place the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.

"Conservation isn't a partisan issue in Manatee County," Commission Chair Tal Siddique said in a county news release. "Our residents recognize the value of places like Emerson Point and Robinson Preserve."

Siddique said during the July 28 meeting that he planned to vote for the referendum himself, according to The Bradenton Times.

Commissioner George Kruse also supported putting the measure before voters, saying the county is purchasing land that matters for Manatee's future, according to the Bradenton Herald.

How the Manatee measure differs from 2020

Manatee County voters approved the county's 2020 conservation referendum with 71% of the vote. That measure authorized up to $50 million in bonds and a 0.15-mill property tax.

The 2026 proposal raises the bond authorization to $75 million and would levy an additional 0.16 mills.

It also gives the county greater ability to acquire property interests such as conservation easements on working agricultural land.

Under a conservation easement, willing ranchers and farmers can sell development rights while retaining private ownership and continuing agricultural operations.

Manatee County partnered with the state to protect 438 acres at Mossy Island Ranch and 1,045 acres at Thundercloud Ranch in East Manatee County. Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker told the Bradenton Herald that acquiring development rights through those easements cost about one-tenth as much as buying comparable land outright.

Where conservation dollars have gone

Money authorized by Manatee County voters in 2020 has been used to establish new preserves and expand existing conservation areas.

Purchases include a $15.5 million, 94-acre expansion of Emerson Point Preserve in Palmetto and an $11.2 million purchase of 68 acres for Crooked River Preserve in Parrish.

Since 2023, Manatee County has acquired more than 300 acres of conservation land and permanently protected another 1,483 acres of working rural lands and environmentally sensitive habitat through conservation easements, according to Manatee County.

The program has also established two new county preserves and expanded four existing preserves and one county park.

How the programs are overseen

The official Manatee County ballot question requires annual public audits of the program.

Under the county's Environmental Lands Program, acquisitions are made from willing sellers. The Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee also reviews potential acquisitions and advises the County Commission.

The 2020 program included similar accountability provisions, including annual public audits.

Conservation advocates make their case

Supporters of the measures say continued development makes the remaining opportunities to conserve large tracts of land increasingly important.

Jessica Muroff, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, urged voters in both counties to support the measures in an Oct. 3 opinion column in SRQ Daily.

Muroff wrote that conservation can help protect water quality and wildlife habitat while providing natural floodwater storage. She also pointed to conservation easements as a way for ranchers and farmers to keep land in private ownership while preventing future development.

Key dates for voters

For Sarasota County voters, early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, with polls open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, according to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections.

The deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed is 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.