PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A local preservation group is urging Pinellas County to buy nearly 29 acres along Boca Ciega Bay, but a recent public meeting has prompted new questions about what public access and management of the land would look like.
The WK Preservation Group wants the county to purchase the privately owned land off Duhme Road in unincorporated Pinellas County. The group says the property includes a wide variety of habitats.
“It’s mangrove marsh. It’s aquatic, submersed aquatic, and it’s some coastal upland. So it has a little bit of diversity in it and certainly is a great functioning coastal ecosystem,” said Bruce Turley, vice president of the WK Preservation Group.
Turley said the property is some of the last land in Pinellas County available for preservation. He also said invasive Brazilian pepper on the site makes action time-sensitive.
“It’s a prohibited plant. It’s an invasive species that was introduced many, many years ago, it’s a really big threat to our natural areas. Very aggressive spreader,” Turley said.
The land sits west of Duhme Road and is surrounded by residential areas. The total property is about 29 acres.
At a recent public meeting hosted by the preservation group, residents and local leaders discussed the proposal. Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters said most people at the meeting supported a county purchase for preservation, while four people opposed doing anything with the property.
Peters said some residents who support the purchase do not want the land opened for public use.
“They would like the county to purchase it but not utilize it. Just preservation only. No trails, no kayak launch, just preservation,” Peters said.
The potential purchase is not currently on any County Commission agendas, and no official price has been set by the private owner.
WK Preservation Group’s goal is to ensure the land is preserved and managed.
“The real objective here is to get this into preservation, be able to keep it managed and be able to control what happens to the property,” Turley said.
If the county buys the land, Peters said the money would come from the Penny for Pinellas fund. Future care by the Pinellas County Parks Department would be paid for through property tax dollars.