Famed FL Beach Now Protected

The real star of the soon to be released movie, Miami Vice, also starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, is the tropical landscape of swaying palms, azure seas and clear blue skies. It’s a recurring role that has appeared in numerous James Bond and Frank Sinatra movies, with television credits including Flipper, Miami Vice and CSI Miami. You know this star as location, location, location.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL), signed a star player from the Miami Vice movie with the purchase of a two-acre site on Sugarloaf Key that was used as a location. The purchase will ensure public access to land, river and sea. The ocean front property is located at mile marker 17.

“TPL was fortunate to work with a very patient landowner who shared our mission and desire,” said Becky Nielsen, TPL project manager. “Together we were able to conserve a very special and beautiful parcel of land that will be enjoyed by generations to come.”

The site will be used as a ranger residence for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, as well as a boat, canoe and kayak launch and a picnicking area with rest stop amenities. It will serve as a trailhead for the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, a key destination for cyclists and hikers offering the scenic beauty of a road less traveled. Sugarloaf Key boasts a cinematic backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean to the east and an acre of indigenous hardwoods, native flora, as well as mangroves and transitional wetlands to the north and west. Watch for coming attractions as this new Sugarloaf Key recreation location goes into production.

“This purchase will preserve environmentally-sensitive waterfront property, complete with valuable mangroves and wetlands,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen Castille. “In addition to conserving land in a developing area, the property will provide an opportunity for increased public access, including a trailhead and canoe and kayak launch.”

“This transaction began as a dream and a question: how could we protect this land, and return for visits as often as we desired?” says Martha Loyd, the landowners’ daughter. “Working with TPL has enabled the Sammy family to create a legacy and pass the playground of our childhood on to humankind. The fulfillment of this transaction has provided our family with a way to become stewards and to “immortalize” in a temporal world.”

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since its founding in 1972, TPL has helped protect more than 2 million acres of land in 45 states. Working in Florida since 1975, TPL has protected more than 300 sites – over 200,000 acres at a market value of more than $500 million. The Trust for Public Land depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve our land for people mission. For more information please contact us at (305) 667-0409 or visit us on the web at www.tpl.org/florida.