Charlotte County residents decided they wanted a land conservation program, and were willing to tax themselves for 20 years to pay for it.

“Protecting environmentally sensitive lands balances the impacts of future growth while buffering sensitive areas from encroachment,” Conservation Charlotte organizers wrote on its website. “Environmentally sensitive lands perform free services for us, including flood control, filtering our water resources, recharging our aquifer, cleaning our air, and providing open spaces and recreational opportunities.”

A 2006 county survey showed strong public support for sensitive land acquisition. A referendum soon easily passed, and homeowners agreed to pay an extra dollar for every $5,000 in their home’s taxable value.

Since then, the Conservation Charlotte e

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