Proposed Kingston development raises panther habitat concerns
Conservationists are concerned that the large development project known as “Kingston” would harm the habitat of the endangered Florida panther.
Thousands of acres in Lee County near the Collier County line are being considered for this big development, creating a fierce debate between developers and conservationists, according to a recent article by Alexa Velez of NBC2.
The proposed Kingston Development, located between Corkscrew Road and State Road 82, would include 10,000 houses, a 240-room hotel, a K-8 school, and 700,000 square feet of businesses and offices.
“Not only is that in primary and secondary panther habitat, but the 95,000 daily generated trips are already deadly roadways for the panther,” said Julianne Thomas, senior environmental planning specialist at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
The Conservancy claims that this construction could kill between 3 and 23 panthers each year due to increased traffic.
“We’re looking at a situation where the Florida panther is not going to be able to recover or even survive,” Thomas informed us.
Developer Tony Cameratta disagrees, claiming that the anticipated number of panther deaths is excessively high.
“The Kingston project has been portrayed in such a bad manner. “There are so many positive benefits that are being overlooked,” Cameratta explained.
Additionally, Cameratta asserts that the construction would help people who wanted to move inland from the coast, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Ian’s devastation. He says that Kingston intends to conserve and revitalize nearly 3,000 acres of the project’s land.
To proceed forward, the Kingston project need a 404 Clean Water Act permit. In February, a judge blocked Florida from awarding these licenses, delegating decision-making to the Army Corps of Engineers.
Sunday is the last day for the public to leave comments on the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s website before the Army Corps of Engineers makes its decision.
This article originally appeared on NBC2
