The Nature Conservancy acquired Lake Wimico, a 20,161 acre piece of land in the Florida Panhandle calling it one of the largest conservation wins in over a decade.
In a press release Wednesday, the organization said safeguarding Lake Wimico will help preserve and protect the water quality of Apalachicola River, Apalachicola Bay and Gulf of Mexico. It also creates a protected refuge for resident and migratory wildlife, including many federally and state listed imperiled species.
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WATCH HEREConservationists had repeatedly identified the freshwater wetland habitat as an area of critical conservation significance for preservation. The land was identified as a priority parcel with the state’s Florida Forever Program.
The acquisition was paid with funds from Deepwater Horizon criminal penalties designated for the benefit of natural resources.
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