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Florida pays citrus company $28.5M for conservation land

Photo: Vesela Vaclavikova
Photo: Vesela Vaclavikova

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — A Florida citrus company has sold another piece of land to the state for preservation.

Fort Myers-based Alico Inc. announced Friday that the state’s Florida Forever land conservation program purchased 10,702 acres of its land in Hendry County for $28.5 million.

The News-Press reports that this is the second time the state has purchased land from Alico in an area known as the Devil’s Garden.

In 2019, the state purchased 5,534 acres for more than $14.7 million. The two purchases represent more than 16,000 acres of conservation land that is prime habitat for endangered Florida panthers.

Danielle Prieur covers education in Central Florida.