Cabinet backs Cross Bar land purchase
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet today voted to add the 12,500-acre Cross Bar ranch in central Pasco County to the state's priority list for conservation.
The land is owned by Pinellas County, which bought it decades ago when Tampa Bay communities squared off over controlling water sources. The land includes drinking water wells managed by Tampa Bay Water. It's a habitat for endangered and at-risk species, too.
While today's vote makes the purchase a priority, the land is roughly valued at $175-million. And the state's land conservation program is running out of money, but Crist supports extending it.
"Am I right that we don't really have the money to buy much of any of this right now?" asked Attorney General Bill McCollum to chuckles. "Hopefully, we will."
- Times staff writer
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Why should Pinellas County sell such an important asset.
Everywhere you turn in newspapers and electronic media at the moment, there are numerous examples of the coming Water Wars.
Pinellas County owns this valuable resource NOW. We (Taxpaying Citizens) paid for this years ago. We purchased it LEGALLY.
There is absolutely no reason to sell it.
What's the rush...
We should NEVER have turned it over to Swiftmud or Tampa Bay Water either...
Posted by: None of the Above | February 27, 2008 at 03:38 PM