18101 Cypress Tower Rd, Ochopee, FL 34141

Conservation District

The purpose and intent of the conservation district CON is to conserve, protect and maintain vital natural resource lands within unincorporated Collier County that are owned primarily by the public. All native habitats possess ecological and physical characteristics that justify attempts to maintain these important natural resources. Barrier islands, coastal bays, wetlands, and habitat for listed species deserve particular attention because of their ecological value and their sensitivity to perturbation. All proposals for development in the CON district must be subject to rigorous review to ensure that the impacts of the development do not destroy or unacceptably degrade the inherent functional values. The CON District includes such public lands as Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, portions of the Big Cypress Area of Critical State Concern, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Collier-Seminole State Park, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Sanctuary Research Reserve, Delnor-Wiggins State Park, and the National Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (privately owned), and C.R.E.W. It is the intent of the CON District to require review of all development proposed within the CON District to ensure that the inherent value of the County's natural resources is not destroyed or unacceptably altered. The CON District corresponds to and implements the conservation land use designation on the future land use map of the Collier County GMP.