Alachua County's Wild Spaces & Public Places Program on the Ballot on November 8th Have you heard that the Wild Spaces & Public Places Program (WSPP) is back on your Alachua County ballot? The Wild Spaces & Public Places Program — funded by a half-cent sales tax passed by a majority of Alachua County voters in 2016 — works to conserve lands to protect and preserve our area’s water supply and sensitive habitats. This November 8th it is up for renewal. If approved, this ballot measure would implement a one-cent sales tax and dedicate half the funding for over ten years to extending the Wild Spaces & Public Places Program, continuing to conserve public lands and improve parks throughout Alachua County. Since the passage of the Wild Spaces & Public Places referendum six years ago, Alachua County has closed on 22 acquisitions protecting 12,400 acres. Most open space and natural land across Alachua County is privately owned. They are open to development and likely will be developed in the next few decades without conservation programs like Wild Spaces & Public Places. Photo by Kim Davidson. Have you ever spotted a Florida black bear in the wild? Have you witnessed a bald eagle soaring overhead? Have you ever identified the tracks of a Florida panther? In Alachua County, 12.6% of Florida Black Bear habitat, 38.5% of Bald Eagle Habitat, and 24.8% of Panther habitat is currently protected as public conservation lands. The Wild Spaces & Public Places Program gives wildlife room to roam by providing funding for land conservation, while allowing current and future generations of Alachua County residents to continue to enjoy these natural places. Learn more about WSPP here Barr Hammock by Alison Blakeslee. Alachua County Conservation Lands Below are a few examples of conservation lands protected with funds from the Wild Spaces & Public Places Program: Fox Pen Connector Little Orange Creek Preserve Four Creeks Preserve Loblolly Woods Nature Park Serenola Forest Preserve Sweetwater Park Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve Barr Hammock Alachua Conservation Trust Phone: 352-373-1078 Email: [log in to unmask] Website: https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.alachuaconservationtrust.org__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!WkVun7H-ewEB4mONw-SHM2ZRXol7vF02bjFJynUNYP4-dmnjqCQdF06Te3c8o6DApd5hJdbe_v6La58YFuSRLn0mBq8zBA$ Connect with us Alachua Conservation Trust | 7204 SE County Road 234, Gainesville, FL 32641 Unsubscribe [log in to unmask] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [log in to unmask] powered by Try email marketing for free today! ######################################################################## Access the RAEMI-EAGLE-GLENN Home Page and Archives: http://listserv.alachuacounty.us/scripts/wa.exe?A0=RAEMI-EAGLE-GLENN Unsubscribe from the RAEMI-EAGLE-GLENN List: http://listserv.alachuacounty.us/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=RAEMI-EAGLE-GLENN ########################################################################