The F.I.S.H. Preserve
To preserve the natural habitat upon which the commercial fishing industry depends an extremely ambitious undertaking for such a small community was successfully concluded when the group made its last payment on the Schewe property. Encompassing over 100 acres of environmentally sensitive land immediately east of Cortez, for hundreds of years this site has survived as an important fisheries habitat for the section of Sarasota Bay south of Cortez fondly referred to as "the kitchen." It was here the locals could find a bounty of fresh seafood to feed their families and trade with their farmer neighbors when times were economically lean. Sold in the 50s and long slated for development, in later decades the property, sadly, was also used as a dumping site for construction debris.
A very successful financial plan for the first phase:
Funds for the first $60,000 mortgage payment on the land were raised from donations made by ordinary citizens and conservation minded companies. A succession of annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festivals, traditionally held in February of each year, and donations from our more than 700 members and a host of friends all over the country enabled F.I.S.H. to pay off the mortgage in 2005. No Federal or State funds were used in the effort. With such a strong financial base and the anticipated community support, the project goal became a reality.