Pasco County Just Made Its Biggest Land Purchase Ever — 1,893 Acres for $68 Million to Keep Development Out

PASCO COUNTY / WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — In the middle of one of Florida's biggest building booms, Pasco County just did something remarkable. Pasco County purchased 1,893 acres of land known as 4G Ranch for $68 million — the largest land acquisition in the county's history — with the goal of preserving it from development forever.

The acquisition was announced during a June 1 event at the property and is part of the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program — an initiative that has been more than two decades in the making.

Where It Is and Why It Matters 

The 4G Ranch property is located off State Road 52, north of Land O' Lakes. County officials say the land serves as an important wildlife corridor — it includes the entire Conner Preserve to Crossbar Ecological Corridor, and connects to Southwest Florida Water Management District's Conner Preserve to the south and Pinellas County's Crossbar/Al Bar Ranch to the north.

"You would see, connecting these two larger systems south of 52, basically a multitude of wildlife species using this acquisition — both in just going from one parcel to the other, or in some cases living out their entire life cycle just in the property itself," said Keith Wiley, Pasco County's Director of Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources.

How It Was Funded 

The purchase was made in a 50/50 partnership — meaning Pasco County stretched its conservation dollars by pairing local funds with state or federal matching funds, a strategy the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program has used since its launch in 2004. 

The Bigger Picture 

Since 2004, Pasco County has now preserved nearly 8,700 acres of natural land through the program. For a county that has added hundreds of thousands of residents and thousands of new homes over that same period, this purchase is a meaningful counterweight — a signal that Pasco is thinking about quality of life and natural preservation, not just growth. 

"Acquisitions like this mean we can slow down a lot of growth and development," said Pasco County Board Chair Jack Mariano.

Why Wesley Chapel Residents Should Care 

Every acre preserved in Pasco County is an acre that stays green, stays wild, and stays out of the development pipeline permanently. As Wesley Chapel continues to grow at a rapid pace, the county's commitment to conservation helps ensure that future generations inherit a Pasco County that still has room to breathe.

📍 4G Ranch — off State Road 52, north of Land O' Lakes, Pasco County, FL

📅 Acquisition announced: June 1, 2026 | Published: June 4, 2026

🌐 pascocountyfl.gov for more on the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program