Environmental Stewardship

As one of the largest land owners in Florida, Collier Enterprises understands the importance of environmental stewardship. The company has worked to preserve expansive environmental areas and open spaces and has focused on sustainability when planning new communities and other projects.

Over the years, Collier Enterprises has donated or conveyed over 260,000 acres of land to maintain the environmental balance and economic health of Southwest Florida. Collier lands were instrumental in the creation of the Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Collier Enterprises’ groundbreaking, environmentally sensitive efforts have been widely praised. In 1994, Collier’s Reserve Country Club became the first golfing community in the world to achieve designation as a Certified Audubon International Signature Sanctuary. The Old Collier Golf Club was the world’s first golf course to be recognized as a Gold Signature Sanctuary by Audubon and the first club in the continental United States to use the salt-tolerant Paspalum turf grass, developed by Collier Enterprises, throughout the entire course. Both golf clubs are known for their natural beauty and abundant wildlife.

During Collier Enterprises’ ownership of Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club, the marina was certified as a Clean and Resilient Marina. Only a small percentage of Florida marinas meet the high standards of this voluntary program under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Collier Enterprises continues to be a leader in environmental stewardship by carefully merging wildlife protection, water conservation, natural habitat enhancement, and sound business operations.

Alongside Defenders of Wildlife, Florida Wildlife Federation, Audubon of the Western Everglades and Audubon Florida, Collier Enterprises is a participating landowner with the Florida Panther Protection Program. This collaborative effort between leading conservation organizations and eastern Collier County landowners better protects and manages the Florida Panther in Southwest Florida and assists in the recovery of this beloved endangered species – and others. The environmentally and economically balanced program involves approximately 195,000 acres of private land in Collier County. Through an incentive-based land use program, the Florida Panther Protection Program will help to secure, protect, and preserve a contiguous range of panther habitat connecting the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Big Cypress National Preserve through Camp Keais Strand and the Okaloacoochee Slough with Corkscrew Marsh and adjacent lands in the region.

Located in eastern Collier County, the Rural Lands Stewardship Area (RLSA) encompasses 185,000 acres of land in private ownership, including lands owned by Collier Enterprises. The award-winning RLSA program was developed over several years in a consensus-building process between key stakeholders, including Collier County officials, environmental organizations, and the landowners, among others. The program created a desirable balance between environmental preservation and restoration, creation of wildlife habitat and corridors, retention of agricultural lands and operations, and responsible development within a limited footprint. The RLSA program has already preserved more than 55,000 acres, valued at more than $500,000,000 – at no cost to Collier County taxpayers. Ultimately, the RLSA will protect land valued at more than $1 billion for environmental restoration and conservation in perpetuity.