A site containing 80 acres of undisturbed Florida sandhill habitat will become the latest addition to Polk’s environmental preserves, the County Commission agreed Tuesday .
Commissioners agreed to purchase the site on Masterpiece Road near Lake Wales for $3.6million from the Wheeler family, $3.1 million will come from the voter-approved Environmental Lands Program and $500,000 will come from the Department of Defense.
Tabitha Biehl, Polk’s Parks and Natural Resources Director, said an initial survey in 2025 found some listed species such as Sand Skink and Scrub Plum and more species may be discovered in future surveys after the property is acquired.
The property scored high when it was evaluated because of the lack of disturbance and almost total lack of invasive species.
It sits to the west of a piece of property Polk County officials are planning to develop as the site for a sewer plant and other county facilities.
Access to the property will occur through that site, she said.
There is no date set for when the site will open to the public.
This purchase complements a number of other purchases already approved or pending in the area along Masterpiece Road south of Lake Pierce that protect a portion of the Lake Wales Ridge, a chain of prehistoric desert islands that contain some of the highest concentrations of rare plant and animal species in the United States.