Media Release

10:55 a.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY -  At their Tuesday, December 11, 2007 board meeting,  the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners will consider accepting a conservation easement  donation from Mrs. Mable Robertson. The property is a 115 acre parcel on SW 8th Avenue just west of SW 91st  Street. As part of the conservation easements negotiations, Alachua County Forever and The Nature Conservancy are proposing  covering the transaction costs.

Mrs. Robertson and her husband bought the land over 50 years ago, when that part of the County was still 100% rural, and have made great efforts to keep the land as it was at the time of the original purchase.  They farmed the areas that had been previously cut for timber and pasture use, and left alone those hammock areas that had not been disturbed.   Mrs. Robertson continues to walk the fencelines, tend to the few cattle that graze the property, pull boulders and fallen limbs from various walking paths, and does most of the work to keep up the property. 

In speaking of the donation, Mrs. Robertson's attorney Mellissa Norman said, "Mrs. Robertson  has watched development change the character of Newberry Road from rural parkway to highway and observed the gradual demise of tung trees and adjacent farming practices. Over the years, the Robertsons turned down many lucrative development offers." Norman continued saying, 'She has a true love of the land; the land inspires her, keeps her mentally and physically balanced and intact. She knows and tends to every individual tree on that property like they were her children."

 Mrs. Robertson said of the donation, "I'm glad to know the property will be protected in its natural condition for the enjoyment of future generations to come, and the needs of the community for green space.  You can't put a price on trees."

"We are very grateful that Mrs. Robertson and her family recognize the value of conserving these green spaces," said Ramesh Buch, Alachua County Forever Program Manager. "We are honored she chose Alachua County Forever as the trustee of her legacy."

Alachua County Forever was created by the voters in 2000. It is funded through a 0.25 mill property tax and is capped at a total of $29 million.  To date the County has used $22 million of these local dollars to leverage $41 million of federal, State and private funds to protect over 12,000 acres of property.

For more information about becoming an Alachua County Forever Volunteer, contact Ramesh Buch at (352) 264-6800. Visit http://www.alachuacounty.us/government/depts/epd/land/ for more information on Alachua County Forever.

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