Environmental activists racing to raise $3 million to keep 14-acre property out of hands of developers
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - A group of environmental activists are racing against the clock to try to buy a piece of land in Tarpon Springs before it's sold to developers.
According to the grassroots nonprofit W.K. Preservation Group, the 14-acre property on Klosterman Road is home to 60 species of native plants, trees and wildlife, including dozens of gopher tortoises.
During a news conference Thursday, the preservation group said it has received several donations so far, including $250,000 from a family in Indiana, but still needs $3 million to purchase the land from the current owners, the Pinellas County School District.
Time, however, is running out. The group has until July 2022 to come up with the money.
"I say we all get together in this county and around the world, if you're listening, and let's raise this $3 million that we need to in order to save this property," said Brad Husserl, a volunteer with W.K. Preservation Group. "We'll be doing a really big help for our county and all the species that live in there."
This effort comes on the heels of a recent railed effort by activists to convince Tarpon Springs city commissioners to reject a proposal to build five apartment buildings, totaling 404 units, in an undeveloped section of the city.
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