• The Agricultural Reserve covers an area of about 22,000 acres extending from Lantana Road to Clint Moore Road west of Florida’s Turnpike. It was established in the 1980s to preserve unique wetlands and farmlands by limiting uses to agriculture, conservation, low-density residential development and limited non-residential uses. 

• “A $150 million bond was proposed, with $50 million to be used for environmentally sensitive lands throughout the County and $100 million to be used in the Ag Reserve consistent with the purposes established by the BCC for the area with a goal of reducing the number of potential new units in the Ag Reserve by 4,000 units. In March 1999, the voters approved the bond issue by a two to one margin…” It was and is clearly the will of the people to protect and this special land.

• Under the Unified Land Development Code, the land use law of the county, the Commissioners are required to “protect natural resources…and economic resources” (Article 1, C.4. ULDC) The farmlands in the Ag Reserve are unique and the most valuable vegetable growing farmland on the Eastern Seaboard and must be protected under the law as a critical natural resource of Palm Beach County.

• The Ag Reserve is unique for two reasons: the farmland is warmed by the Gulfstream and there hasn’t been a hard freeze in the area for the past quarter century according to temperature readings from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The largest farmers in the Ag Reserve are third generation family farmers who bring unique intellectual capital to our county. They have developed sustainable farming methods that are directly related to the high productivity of this land.

• Large contiguous 150 acre plus sections of land are vital for flood protection, recharging the aquafer, filter pollution and provide wild life habitat. The Ag Reserve is the eastern boundary of the ARM Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and the Everglades and thus protects our water supply.

Paton White, President

Audubon Society Of the Everglades