the history
Of Babcock Ranch
AN INNOVATIVE HISTORY
Inspired by a bold vision and deep respect for the land, Babcock Ranch’s creation was led by Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, to become America’s first solar-powered town.
Honoring the heritage of Southwest Florida while embracing innovation, its founding enabled the largest preservation land purchase in Florida’s history and the creation of the 73,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve.
AN INSPIRED VISION
Today, half of the town’s 18,000 acres are dedicated to greenways, parks, and lakes. From water-conserving landscapes to energy-efficient homes and solar fields that produce more clean power than the town consumes, every element reflects a pioneering model of sustainable living — one that respects the past while building a resilient future.
COMMUNITY MILESTONES
Perry Wadsworth McAdow of Fergus County, Montana purchased the land that is now Babcock Ranch. His family called their new home Crescent B Ranch.
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a preserved community
ROOTS IN PRESERVATION AND PARTNERSHIP
Spanning Charlotte and Lee counties near Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch was named after Edward Vose Babcock, who purchased the land in 1914. For decades it supported logging and agriculture, uses that still fund the Babcock Ranch Preserve today.
In 2006, the Florida Legislature established the Babcock Ranch Preserve Act, creating the state’s first preserve required to generate its own funding through a public-private partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service.
conservation as a master plang
A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Occupying land in both Charlotte and Lee counties near Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch was named after Edward Vose Babcock, a lumber baron and mayor of Pittsburgh (1918-1922), who purchased the land in 1914.
The land’s primary use was logging and agriculture, and those uses continue to generate funds for the maintenance and operation of the Babcock Ranch Preserve.
The Babcock Ranch Preserve Act, enacted by the Florida Legislature in 2006, made it the first Florida preserve responsible for generating its funding under a public-private management partnership that includes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service.
When Babcock proposed the 17,000-acre master planned community in 2006, many organizations worked to secure legislative approval for what still stands as the largest conservation purchase in state history.
Sierra Club was the only conservation organization to file legal action seeking a stronger commitment to clean energy and wildlife protection, which in the end evolved into a collaborative relationship between Babcock and the Sierra Club.
That collaboration provided several unique features, including the best technology to reduce water consumption and other environmental impacts; a smaller overall project footprint; wildlife, wildlife habitat, and wildlife corridor protection; and nearly 800 acres of land in the North Babcock Conservation Area set aside for the solar fields that now power Babcock Ranch.
The result is Babcock Ranch today, a model for sustainable, environmentally responsible development. Sierra Club remains a close partner
