Highlands Commissioners Agree To Advance Environmental Lands Referendum Discussion

The proposed 2026 referendum to secure funding to create a local environmental lands acquisition program in Highlands County advanced Tuesday.
The County Commission agreed to proceed with a study and a series of public meetings facilitated by its staff and the North Florida Land Trust.
The project is aptly called the Ridge to River Conservation Plan.
Highlands County contains a portion of the Lake Wales Ridge and parts of the headwaters of the Everglades in scenic vast open spaces.
Much of those resources are unprotected.
Commissioners have not committed yet to holding the referendum, saying they wanted to hear from their constituents.
During the meeting, commissioners and one member of the audience raised questions about how the program would affect the county’s tax base and how much property owners would be willing to pay.
Ramesh Buch, the land trust’s director of conservation acquisition, said such referendums have been approved in 27 of Florida’s 67 counties, adding that initial meetings with residents showed high interest in conserving more of the county’ s resources.
In some counties, such as Polk, referendums have been approved twice.
During the public comment period, the majority of the speakers urged commissioners to move forward.
Those included Tom Palmer. chair of Ancient Islands Sierra; Kristen Nowak from the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, Dale Gillis, vice president of Highlands County Audubon, Dr. Paul Gray from Florida Audubon as well as representatives from Conservation Florida and Archbold Biological Station and some county residents.
They argued it is important to protect what is left of the county’s diverse habitats before they are lost.