The land is part of the 91,361-acre Babcock Ranch, which sprawlsacross 81,499 acres of Charlotte County and 9,862 acres in LeeCounty and is one of the biggest pieces of privately owned propertyin southwest Florida. Last summer, the Babcock family offered todedicate and sell about half of the ranch's property holdings tothe counties and state for conservation, in exchange fordevelopment rights on nearly 20,000 acres in Charlotte and Leecounties.

Earlier this month, the Florida Forever Acquisition andRestoration Council, which is made up of state agency heads, tookthe family up on its offer and placed the property on the state's"A" list of top-priority properties targeted for state acquisitionunder the $3 billion Florida Forever Plan that was approved by thestate's voters last year.

The "A" list, which comprises about 50 properties, will bepresented to Gov. Jeb Bush and his Cabinet on Jan. 29, 2002.