![]() Together with nearby conservation lands, including the Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area, the Bob Janes Preserve and the Caloosahatchee Regional Park, the Preserve provides habitat for wide-ranging species such as the Florida black bear and Florida panther and is home to the Osceola subspecies of native wild turkey, which is found only in peninsular Florida. The Preserve's wetlands contribute to aquifer recharge for southwest Florida and help maintain the health of the western Everglades ecosystem, particularly the Caloosahatchee River and Charlotte Harbor estuary. A dominant feature on the landscape is the north-south oriented Telegraph Swamp, a cypress strand swamp located in the eastern half of the property. The Preserve spans a diverse mosaic of pinelands, including both wet and mesic pine flatwoods, and dry prairie ecosystems interspersed with cypress domes and cypress swamps. Located within the Caloosahatchee River Basin, the Preserve anchors a conservation corridor of public and private land that stretches from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. Partners include the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Forest Service. Revenue from these activities and other on-site recreation will provide the resources necessary to maintain and protect the property for the citizens of Florida. The Preserve will be managed under the auspices of a unique public-private partnership which will help sustain the Preserve as a working ranch, and timbering and eco-tourism operation. During the sale of the property in 2006, a portion of the original Crescent B Ranch acreage was reserved for private residential development (Babcock Ranch Community) the remainder was sold to the state. Since 1914, Crescent B Ranch produced timber, cattle, row crops, and sod, and provided recreation opportunities such as hunting and ecotourism. Prior to its purchase by the State of Florida in 2006, the Preserve was part of the 91,361-acre working ranch known as Crescent B Ranch. Public recreational opportunities abound and include hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing, bicycling, fishing, camping and horseback riding. The Preserve protects regionally important water resources, diverse natural habitats, scenic landscapes and historic and cultural resources in the rapidly developing southwest Florida corridor. It represents one of the single largest purchases of conservation land in the state's history. The Babcock Ranch Preserve (Preserve) occupies 67,618.81 acres in southeast Charlotte County, approximately 17.5 miles east of Punta Gorda and 34 miles west of Lake Okeechobee. Managed in cooperation with the Florida Forest Service. ![]() Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network.Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.Report injured, orphaned or dead manatees.Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. ![]()
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