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In Orange County, A Vote to Protect Split Oak Forest

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Orange County voters overwhelmingly have approved a charter amendment aimed at protecting Split Oak Forest from a new toll road. 

By a margin of 86 percent, voters endorsed the amendment on behalf of the forest in southeast Orange County and east Osceola County. 

The amendment comes after Orange County commissioners voted in December 2019 to support a plan for the 9-mile toll road through part of the forest. 

The road would connect State Road 417 with the Osceola Parkway. 

Split Oak Forest spans more than 1,600 acres. It has been protected since the early 1990s. 

Orange County voters also overwhelmingly approved a separate charter amendment designed to protect the Wekiva and Econlockhatchee rivers and other troubled waters. 

Amy Green covered the environment for WMFE until 2023. Her work included the 2020 podcast DRAINED.