LAKE WALES, FL. — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has acquired 74 acres along Lake Pierce as part of the Catfish Creek Florida Forever Project. This acquisition expands Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, located along the Lake Wales Ridge in Polk County.
The new property includes more than 6,000 feet of lakefront shoreline and existing buildings and infrastructure, including The Ridge Environmental Education and Event Center.
The expansion will enable the addition of new recreation amenities, including camping, fishing, hiking, and expanded environmental education programs.
The park currently protects more than 8,000 acres of rare scrub, sandhill, and flatwoods habitat and offers six miles of hiking trails. The property lies within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and provides habitat for species such as the bald eagle, Florida scrub-jay, and gopher tortoise. It also supports water quality preservation in the Upper Kissimmee Basin, a headwaters area for the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee, and the Everglades.
The acquisition was approved by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet. Since 2019, the state has committed more than $1.5 billion to the Florida Forever program, including $950 million for the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
This funding has facilitated the acquisition of over 390,000 acres for conservation, with 90% located within the Wildlife Corridor.
For more information on the Florida Forever Program, visit FloridaForever.org. Nothing further at this time.
Source: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
