Florida invests $17 million to turn former farmland into thriving 700-acre coastal preserve

Robinson Preserve, a 700-acre coastal refuge in Manatee County, was once slated for a waterfront golf-course community before the county purchased the 482-acre parcel in 2003. Over two decades, about $17 million funded wetland reconstruction, native vegetation planting, invasive-species control and recreational infrastructure, with NOAA Fisheries contributing through its Community-based Restoration Program. The first restoration phase opened in 2008, and a subsequent land donation expanded the site by 150 acres, allowing restoration of additional coastal habitats such as mangroves and seagrasses.

Monitoring by NOAA documented high numbers of juvenile snook, sheepshead and red drum thriving in the restored wetlands, with growth rates matching or exceeding those in natural areas. An economic analysis attributed 239 jobs, $12.7 million in worker income and $32.7 million in total economic activity to the project, plus ongoing recreation-related benefits. The preserve now offers walking, biking, kayaking and wildlife-watching opportunities for both locals and tourists.