The Wekiva–Ocala Greenway has been identified by Naturally Centrally Florida as one of the seven key environmental areas to preserve in the seven county region that comprises the myregion.org initiative.

On September 13, 2005, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved a contract for the purchase of 83 acres of environmentally sensitive lands through the Orange County Green Park Land Acquisition and Conservation for Environmental Protection (PLACE) program. The property is located with in the Wekiva Springshed Protection Area and is considered to have high recharge value and is the second major acquisition by Orange County in the Wekiva Springshed Protection Area. Since the inception of the Green PLACE program in 2002, Orange County has purchased 542 acres.

In addition, Mayor Richard T. Crotty was presented with an Environmental Leadership award from Florida Local Environmental Resource Agencies (FLERA). FLERA selected Mayor Crotty for it’s Environmental Leadership award for his leadership in environmental issues and more specifically, his $20 million commitment, with the support of the BCC, to fund the Green PLACE program.

Orange County Environmental Protection Division will continue to preserve environmentally sensitive lands through the Green PLACE program. For more information on the program, please contact Beth Jackson, Program Manager of the Green PLACE program at 407-836-1481.