Deal will protect Murphy Marsh

A 543-acre property in eastern Manatee County known as Murphy Marsh will be protected from development after the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast helped secure a conservation easement on the land.

Murphy Marsh links Triangle Ranch, Lettuce Lakes and the newly protected Tatum Sawgrass Scrub Preserve, three other important conservation areas in the Myakka River watershed.

Conservation Foundation officials said the protection of Murphy Marsh will help with efforts to restore the 2,500-acre Tatum Sawgrass marsh, a project that will decrease flooding downstream and expand wildlife habitat in the region.

“Murphy Marsh is a piece of land that sits perfectly into that puzzle that connects the Tatum Sawgrass marsh with other areas. By being able to connect those areas, the restoration of the Tatum marsh is going to be possible,” said Lee Ann Rodriguez, the Conservation Foundation’s Director of Philanthropy. “It’s the piece that makes it all come together.”