Conservation Florida Permanently Protects 2,317 Acres at Eagle Haven Ranch
All photos by Anna Crocitto
Four Miles of Lake Kissimmee Shoreline Saved from Resort Development to Conserve Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality
LAKE WALES, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2025) — Conservation Florida is proud to announce the permanent protection of 2,317 acres at Eagle Haven Ranch, a conservation jewel along the shores of Lake Kissimmee once at risk of becoming a resort development.
This major conservation milestone was made possible through the partnership of conservation buyers Arnie and Lauren Bellini, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (DoD REPI) Program, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Agricultural Land Easement (NRCS ALE) Program, and the generous supporters of Conservation Florida.
"This is a conservation victory for the people, wildlife, and waters of Florida," said Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida. “Eagle Haven Ranch is one of the most significant properties in the Northern Everglades I’ve encountered. Its permanent protection is a direct result of bold partnerships, visionary funding programs, and the power of the conservation community.”
Formerly at risk of development into a luxury resort, Eagle Haven Ranch is now forever protected through the purchase of a conservation easement that ensures its vital habitats, wildlife corridors, and historic ranching heritage are preserved for generations.
Conservation Florida purchased the conservation easement thanks to grant funding, the Bellini Family’s initiative, and the nonprofit’s philanthropic supporters.
Billboards for planned development still stand at Eagle Haven Ranch, a reminder of what could have been if not for conservation intervention.
A home for many
Eagle Haven Ranch, once known as Lost Oak and Shady Oaks, is a landscape of stunning biodiversity. With over four miles of shoreline on Lake Kissimmee, it is a home to nearly 200 species, including bald eagles, alligators, and the endemic, endangered Florida scrub-jay.
The Florida Scrub Jay, a protected and endemic species, is found on Eagle Haven Ranch. Earlier in 2025, volunteers came out to complete a census project, surveying the population on-site.
It sits within the Northern Everglades, a region home to 38 federally listed species and over 160 state-listed threatened and endangered species, including the endangered Florida panther and the Florida grasshopper sparrow. The swamps and marshes on Eagle Haven Ranch filter water for the Kissimmee River and help secure clean water supplies downstream into the greater Everglades system.
Eagle Haven Ranch is located in Polk County and comprised of 2,317 acres of Lake Kissimmee coastline within the Northern Everglades.
The land also lies within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape, a federally designated area where conservation and military readiness goals align. The DoD’s REPI program contributed funding to protect this important buffer area, ensuring uninterrupted military flight operations while enhancing environmental resilience.
“This collaboration with Conservation Florida and our partners has produced some truly amazing outcomes,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) Buck MacLaughlin. “Protecting Eagle Haven Ranch ranks among the best! It has been a priority for the range for more than a decade, so we’re celebrating a tremendous win for both national defense and Florida’s wild places. Eagle Haven Ranch is a part of our Sentinel Landscape, helping to ensure our military can train with excellence and our endangered panthers can roam free.”
The USDA's NRCS Agricultural Land Easement Program provided complementary funding to support working lands conservation, honoring the property and the region's long tradition of being in agriculture while also protecting critical wildlife habitat.
“Eagle Haven Ranch shows what’s possible when conservation and agriculture go hand in hand,” said Marcus Shorter, acting Florida state Conservationist. “By working with dedicated partners like Conservation Florida and forward-thinking landowners, we’re putting conservation into action — right where it matters most.”
BRINK OF DEVELOPMENT
At one point, Eagle Haven Ranch was protected land. Unfortunately, it was “surplused” by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and sold.
The land was then on the brink of development. Plans called for cabins, restaurants, a marina, and a golf course.
That all changed in 2020, when the land was listed for sale.
Conservation Florida, thanks to a call from partner Carlton Ward Jr., jumped into action to build a plan of action. The nonprofit linked arms with Arnie and Lauren Bellini, who generously stepped in to purchase the property and halt development threats, granting nonprofit Conservation Florida the time to assemble the resources for its true permanent protection.
“When Arnie Bellini expressed interest in protecting an important piece of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, the combination of irreplicable natural beauty and the immediate threat of development made this property my first recommendation,” said Carlton Ward Jr., CEO of Wildpath and founder of the Florida Wildlife Corridor project. “I am grateful to the Bellini Family and Conservation Florida for saving the soul of Lake Kissimmee and setting an example for how decisive private investment can create new possibilities for conservation.”
“We bought Eagle Haven Ranch to protect it from development and preserve the heart of Florida’s wildlife corridor,” said Arnie and Lauren Bellini. “Working with Conservation Florida, we’ve shown that protecting land can balance Florida’s economy and ecology for the future of all Florida citizens.”
“Working with Conservation Florida, we’ve shown that protecting land can balance Florida’s economy and ecology for the future of all Florida citizens.”
Arnie and Lauren Bellini
CONSERVATION MEANS FOREVER
Since then, the Bellini Family, with help from professionals like Kissimmee Valley Foresters, has implemented habitat restoration through prescribed fire and stewardship practices to revitalize the landscape.
Eagle Haven Ranch is a key connector piece in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a statewide effort to protect and connect more than 18 million acres of lands critical for both people and wildlife.
“By securing Eagle Haven Ranch, we’re not just saving one piece of land, we’re fortifying a broader conservation vision that stretches from the Panhandle to the Everglades,” said Chelsea Wisner, Director of Land Protection for Conservation Florida.
In addition to native wildlife and plants, Eagle Haven Ranch is also home to families of cattle.
With Eagle Haven Ranch permanently protected, Conservation Florida continues to pursue additional projects in the region that support corridor connectivity, water quality, and working land traditions. The organization encourages continued public and private support to expand the impact.
“This is conservation at its best: collaborative, strategic, and lasting,” added Deen. “We are deeply grateful to the REPI and NRCS ALE programs, our conservation-minded landowners, and the many supporters who made this possible.”
In 2021, scientists from Archbold Biological Station held a “bioblitz” at Eagle Haven Ranch, documenting a wide variety of plants and wildlife found on the property. You can explore the full list of species they recorded here.
“This is conservation at its best: collaborative, strategic, and lasting.”
Traci Deen, Conservation Florida CEO
For more information, contact:
Sarah Shepard, Communications Director
About Conservation Florida:
Conservation Florida is an accredited, nonprofit land conservancy dedicated to conserving the Sunshine State’s water, wildlife, wild places, and connecting a functional Florida Wildlife Corridor. Since its founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has saved more than 40,000 acres, serving all 67 counties in Florida, by prioritizing strategic and evidence-based land protection, education, and advocacy.
Follow us on social media @conservationflorida.
