Casey Key Conservation Easement

The Preserve at Casey Key

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast’s easement on Casey Key, a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico, is only .7 acres but provides critical Loggerhead Sea Turtle nesting area. The easement was established in 2001 with The Nature Conservancy and transferred to the Foundation in November, 2005.

The protected property is located in Southwest Florida, a portion of the state that is experiencing rapid increases in residential development.

It lies within the Gulf Coastal Lowlands and consists of level to nearly level plains with changes in elevation being very gradual and barely perceptible.

The easement encompasses what was once the upper beach, fore dune and back dune ecological communities that are now extremely rare due to extensive coastal structural development. The beach area is a critical nesting habitat for the federally endangered Loggerhead sea turtle.

The upper beach and fore dunes are characterized by the following species: sea oats (Uniola Paniculata), purple railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae), sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) and emergent spurges (Chamaesyce spp.). The back dunes include cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), purple muhly grass (Muhlenberia capillaries), beach berry (Scaevola plumierie), sea grape (Cocoloba uvifera), southern red cedar (Juniperus Salicicola) and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera).

The replanting of native plants is assisted by a small irrigation system.

Loggerhead Sea Turtles

Sarasota County has the highest density of loggerhead sea turtles nesting on Florida's west coast. Casey Key is a favored spot for the turtles as it has less development, beach obstacles, artificial light and other hazards for nesting. It is not easy being a sea turtle today but this conservation easement ensures that there will always be a safe place for some of them. Loggerhead sea turtles are a Threatened Species was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as threatened in 1978. The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for sea turtles in their marine habitats, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has jurisdiction over their nesting beaches. Both agencies work to protect sea turtles through the ESA. Both federal agencies, and a number of state agencies, have promulgated regulations to eliminate or reduce threats to sea turtles.