25 Year Celebration Special Events

This fall, join us for a 10-week celebration honoring 25 years of Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program. From guided nature walks to interactive programs, each event highlights the beauty, history and conservation successes of the lands we’ve preserved together! https://www.sarasotacountyparks.com/i-want-to/park-planning/land-acquisition-programs

Background and History

Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) and Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program (NPP) are voter-approved and taxpayer-funded programs designed to acquire and protect natural lands and parklands.

In 1999, voters approved a referendum for a not-to-exceed 0.25 mil ad valorem tax collected through 2019 to be used for the acquisition, protection and management of environmentally sensitive lands.

In 2005, voters approved a second referendum extending the ESLPP through 2029 and expanding the county’s land protection efforts to include the acquisition and management of neighborhood parkland.

Sarasota County also acquires land through other means, including grants, donations, partnerships and conservation easements. Citizens who wish to nominate land to be considered for county acquisition may complete a land nomination form.