During previous decades, rapid development of Collier County presented challenges in balancing and maintaining a high quality of life for its citizens. While much of eastern and southern Collier County (specifically, Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Florida Panther and 10,000 Island National Wildlife Refuges, and Everglades National Park) provided ecosystem protection, there remained a need to preserve rare habitats and public open space in the rapidly developing western portions of the county between Immokalee and the coastal areas in order to preserve those qualities that make Collier County the exceptional and distinctive place that it is today.
A series of community planning initiatives, begun in the late 1980s, culminated in 2001 with the Community Character and Design visioning process. This process identified the need for a greenspace acquisition program. The resulting initiative, "Vote Conservation 2002" placed a referendum question on the November 2002 ballot, asking voters whether they would be willing to tax themselves one quarter mill for 10 years to buy conservation lands and greenspace and to approve a $75 million limited tax general obligation bond. Nearly sixty percent of Collier County voters responded with a resounding YES! As a result, the Conservation Collier Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2002-63, as amended) was developed, with citizen input and County Commission approval, to make conservation and protection of environmental resources into a real plan for the future. In 2003, the Conservation Collier Program was initiated.
In November 2006 Voters were again asked in a referendum - straw vote question whether they understood and approved that the Conservation Collier Program would be funded by a quarter mill ad valorem property tax for a period of ten (10) years, until 2013. Eighty-two percent (82%) of voters approved! Active acquisition proceeded through 2010. At that point, reduced revenues resulting from economic conditions created uncertainty about future revenues. The initial acquisition phase was closed in January 2011 and available funds were appropriated in a maintenance trust fund. At that time, the program moved into a preserve management phase, including opening the preserves for public access and managing and hosting visitors.
The Program remained in a management phase until 2017 when the Board authorized the use of management funds for the acquisition of more land. In 2018 and 2019, three (3) projects totaling 237 acres were purchased for $3 million.
After the November 2020 Referendum passed with a 76.5% vote, the funding source for acquisition was re-established. Accordingly, Acquisition Cycle 10 started in February 2021 at which time the Program opened up the application period for the Cycle.