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A Seminole advisory panel has unveiled a list of 10 environmentally sensitive properties it recommends the county consider purchasing for conservation and passive recreation.

At the top of the rankings: 670 pristine acres just east of the Econlockhatchee River known as the Hi-Oaks Ranch, where in 2018 former state Rep. Chris Dorworth wanted to build the controversial megadevelopment River Cross.

Filled with a diversity of wildlife — including alligators, gopher tortoises, deer and bobcats — environmentalists, nearby residents and conservationists have long said Hi-Oaks Ranch is worth preserving.

“Its ecological value is extremely high,” said David Bear, a member of the county’s Acquisition and Restoration Committee. “And it’s a uniquely situ

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