PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Time remains of the essence to save a 14-acre tract of land near Tarpon Springs that’s home to native wildlife and plants.
“You know, you can stand there and hear birds' wings flap, right? It’s just — it’s quiet. It’s peaceful,” said Debbie Watts, the treasurer of the W.K. Preservation Group.
For years, there’s been a real possibility the land — dubbed the West Klosterman Preserve — will be sold to developers.
Pinellas County Schools, which owns it, announced its intent to sell the property back in 2021.
However, Watts’s group and hundreds of others have been raising money to stop that.
They need $3 million to purchase the land and preserve it forever. Pinellas County will cover half.
However, the fundraising deadline is now here and Watts’ group has raised a lot of money but is still short by about $260,000.
“I think a lot of folks are — they’re super concerned, right? They think the bulldozers are going to show up on Monday. It’s not that dramatic,” Watts said Sunday.
Watts is confident the fundraising deadline will be extended through the end of the year. Her group is currently working on that extension with the county and school board.
“It’s not the last day anymore, and that for us is really exciting to be able to share,” she said.
With Pinellas County almost completely developed, Watts says losing the natural land would be a huge blow, so, for now, the fundraising will continue.
You can find the fundraiser at this link.
