With an $800,000 appropriation from the state, the Highlands County Department of Natural Resources will begin dredging residential canals running off Lake Istokpoga. ...more

March 7, 2009

The 112 canals running along the Lake Wales Ridge in Highlands County have never been inspected or maintained by the county. ...more

January 10, 2009

The fate of Egmont Key Preserve State Park is in limbo as the Florida Park Service struggles to deal with diminishing state revenues. The park service has proposed turning Egmont Key's management over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which owns the island. It's not clear whether Fish and Wildlife will keep the preserve open if it takes control. ...more

October 17, 2008

The Highlands County commissioners said "no" to cutting the planned pay raises and funding for recreation, but did make 16 budget cuts suggested by county Administrator Michael Wright. ...more

September 18, 2008

In a 4-1 vote early Tuesday evening, the Lake Denton Citizens Advisory Committee recommended that the Highlands County commissioners permanently close public access to this popular lake. ...more

September 4, 2008

SEBRING — An enthusiastic crowd of more than 200 people filled the parking lot of the Agri-Civic Center Wednesday for the first-ever Highlands County Conservation Connection community festival. "We will definitely have another event, because it was a good community event," said Corine Burgess, the natural resources specialist for the county's Soil & Water Conservation District. Representatives of 17 county, regional and state environmental agencies not only passed out information and answered questions, but also had displays and handed out dozens of "give-aways." The crowd would have been much larger, many festival goers said, if it was held on a Saturday instead of a week day and if it also was held in the winter instead of during the heat of late June. ...more

June 26, 2008