Miami-Dade County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program

In 1990, Miami-Dade County voters approved a two-year property tax increase to acquire, protect, and manage environmentally endangered lands for future generations. The Environmentally Endangered Lands Program was established to implement this mandate. A total of $90 million was raised by this tax. Semi-annually, the EEL Program considers new sites that are proposed for acquisition. Staff evaluates the biological health, vulnerability, and manageability of each proposed site. Staff and the citizen volunteers who comprise the Land Acquisition Selection Committee (LASC) inspect each proposed site. Following a public hearing, the LASC recommends sites to the Board of County Commissioners. Once approved for acquisition, sites are appraised and a purchase is negotiated with the seller. EEL purchases lands from willing sellers only.

To stretch the funds available, the EEL Program seeks matching funds and acquisition partners. Through these partnerships, EEL has received about $28 million in matching grants, joint land acquisitions, and donations. Acquisition partners include the Conservation and Recreation Lands Program, the South Florida Water Management District, and the Florida Communities Trust.

The goal of this program is to help protect, restore, and conserve the air, water, land and ecosystem resources of Miami-Dade County.

To date EEL has acquired about $67 million dollars worth of property. Thanks to the foresight of the voters, over 5,100 hectares of rockridge pineland, tropical hardwood hammock, salt marsh, mangrove and riverfront are protected. Ten million dollars was set aside in a trust fund, and the interest used to secure, restore, and care for the sites acquired. The value of all properties currently on the EEL Acquisition List is approximately $75 million.