On December 10th 2024 the Board of Collier County Commissioners voted to allow a portion of federally protected conservation land to be rezoned for a 750-unit apartment complex. This land is known as Section 29 on the County maps. In addition to being designated conservation land, it is surrounded by environmentally and ecologically sensitive acreage. It is bordered on 3 sides by the Collier Seminole State Park to the east, the Rookery Bay Estuarine Research Reserve to the west, and a combination of estuarine & marine wetland and freshwater/forested shrub wetland to the south. This information can be confirmed on the USFWS Wetlands Mapper.

Section 29 is owned by Fiddler's Creek and is presently under federal protected status in the form of a Conservation Covenant that prohibits residential development. The Covenant was created as one of the mandatory terms & conditions of the USFWS Biological Opinion that is part and parcel of their US Army Corps permit. The Collier Commissioners agreed amongst themselves to ignore these federal protections when voting to allow the rezoning of Section 29 for the new apartment complex on 12/10/24. Having achieved local approval to rezone Section 29, the next move for Fiddler's Creek is to petition the federal agencies (USACE and USFWS) to be released from the restrictions of the B.O. and the Covenant.

The preservation of Section 29 is essential to maintaining the delicate balance in the local ecosystem. Section 29 is a link in a chain of movement for several endangered species as well as being acreage that protects the watershed of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Backpedaling on the initial opinion could result in irreversible damage and a significant loss of native species and protective water flows in this area.

Our natural spaces are paramount and must be safeguarded. We need to petition the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to uphold the terms & conditions of the B.O. and the Conservation Covenant with Fiddler's Creek. If they are released from these agreements, they will be free to build 750 multifamily apartment units, amenities, and a 60-ft wide road through this land. This area hosts a significant amount of biodiversity, becoming home to many indigenous, endangered and protected species including the Florida Panther, the highly endangered Bonneted Bat and the American Crocodile, as well as rare hydro-period wetlands.

Let's join together to show our support for the conservation of priceless wetlands and the protection of our endangered species. Let's join together to safeguard our environment and give future generations the opportunity to benefit from the irreplaceable natural resources this land provides. Please sign this petition to let our federal agencies know that you support preserving Section 29 and oppose any modification of the Fiddler's Creek B.O. and Conservation Covenant.