State to pay $30.8 million to preserve Kirkland Ranch in east Pasco
The 974-acre property in Wesley Chapel area has been highly sought after by developers
By JOHN C. COTEY, Tampa Beacon
WESLEY CHAPEL — In an area where development runs rampant and big rambling trucks and new homes and businesses are popping up everywhere, Wesley Chapel is getting a little piece of, well, peace.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District announced its Governing Board has approved the purchase of the 974-acre Kirkland Ranch for $30.8 million, ensuring the land will remain off limits to developers in perpetuity.
“This important purchase will help preserve the region’s lands and water resources for future generations,” said Brian Armstrong, the district’s executive director, in a statement.
The Kirkland family, which has owned the property since 1956, turned down far higher offers from developers in favor of conservation.
“It's amazing, and I'm incredibly grateful that they would be willing to sell their property to keep pristine habitat right here in the heart of east Pasco,” said Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman. “They could have easily sold this land for likely double or more than what the state paid.”
The ranch, located east of Curley Road in the Villages of Pasadena Hills growth area, is surrounded by single-family homes and more planned development.
Its preservation, officials say, will provide benefits beyond green space. According to Swiftmud, the land — 59% uplands and 41% wetlands — meets all four of the district’s core missions: water supply, water quality, flood protection and natural systems.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who spent more than three years making the deal happen, called it a landmark win for East Pasco.
“We were able to put together the resources and a plan to be able to do this, with working with the family, and we're very, very proud of that,” Simpson said. “It's something that I think residents are going to be proud of. And I just think it's going to be a major gem, in perpetuity, for our county.”
He said the family, which has owned the land since 1956, had developers “beating their door down for this property” due to its prime location in the county’s highest growth area.
When the family reached out to Simpson, he says he put a plan together and went to the Florida Senate and the House to raise the money to purchase the property for conservation.
Simpson worked to include $30 million in the state budget in 2023, only to see it vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The following year it didn’t make the budget at all.
Funding finally passed in this year’s session, with DeSantis’ approval.
Simpson said no plans have been made yet about what to do with the land.
“For me, it was about the wildlife. Clearly it will be a major animal sanctuary,” he said. “It was about the aquifer recharge. It's about preserving agriculture. It's all of the above.”
Some of the ranch’s historic cattle operations, which have been in existence for more than 100 years, are expected to continue.
He and Weightman both say it is likely the district will come up with some plans within the next three years. Those could include walking trails and fishing opportunities at the property’s lakes.
“I suspect it's just not going to be a piece of property that just that sits there,” Weightman said. “I’m hopeful that the district in the next couple of years will come up with a recreation plan, and folks in the greater Wesley Chapel area can go and explore the outdoors. It's a pretty special piece of property, I can tell you that.”
Weightman said he and Simpson are working on closing hundreds of acres of greenspaces to development in other areas of Pasco County as well. According to Simpson, nearly 200,000 acres of state land has been preserved in his first two years as Commissioner of Agriculture.
“I think there's going to be a few more stories before the end of the year,” Simpson said.”
John C. Cotey is the managing editor of the Tampa Beacon. He can be reached at
