Family's easement will have a profound impact on land preservation in Florida: 'Forever benefiting both people and nature'

Thanks to a $350,000 grant from the Bishop-Parker Foundation, the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is poised to enter into an easement agreement with the Garst family that will protect 58 acres of land in Florida's East Manatee County.

As detailed by the Bradenton Herald in June, property owner Bunny Garst made the land available for the foundation to purchase in honor of her late husband, Claflin Garst Jr.

Unfortunately, as the Herald noted, the surrounding area has been increasingly losing animal habitats to construction, but the easement will help ensure that a variety of wildlife — from Florida burrowing owls to gopher tortoises and frogs — will continue to have a home.

Because of the sale's easement status, Garst and any future owners will be able to live and ranch on the land. However, developments will be limited, protecting water quality for Bradenton and Tampa Bay area residents, as well as supporting native plants and wildlife. In particular, the longleaf pine trees on the property are crucial habitats for endangered species.

"Once the conservation easement is in place, the land will remain undeveloped, forever benefiting both people and nature," Conservation Foundation spokesperson Sam Valentin told the Herald in an email.

As the news publication pointed out, this isn't the first time Garst has taken action to preserve Florida's ecosystems. In 2022, she sold more than 14 acres to the Conservation Foundation as part of another easement agreement honoring her late husband.

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At the time, the foundation highlighted how the sale also benefited residents by offering flood protection, with natural habitats limiting rain and surface water runoff from storms, which have become more intense as global temperatures have warmed.

Now, with another 58 acres set for protection, the Conservation Foundation believes continued land management efforts could pave the path for further restoration initiatives, including the reintroduction of native species, per the Herald.

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While the organization didn't cite specific potential projects, restoration efforts elsewhere have yielded exciting results. In Oregon, for example, a threatened fish species is thriving after 30 years of action to protect it from an invasive species that was outcompeting it for resources.

At the time of the Herald's report, the easement was expected to be final over the next few months. While none of the parties involved has disclosed the total sale amount, the donation from the Bishop-Parker Foundation was the securing factor.

"Ned and Patty Bishop and Mary Parker greatly valued Manatee County's waterways and natural features," Wendy Deming, the nonprofit's CEO, said in a statement published by the Herald. "The environment was an integral part of why they lived here, so the foundation wants to do all it can to protect Manatee County's shorelines and natural lands."