1 million new trees planted at Duette Preserve

Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department, along with local contractors, state-correctional work squads and volunteers, have planted more than 1 million longleaf pine trees at Duette Preserve, 2649 Rawls Road, Duette, since 2012.

Duette Preserve is the largest nature preserve in Manatee County, purchased in the mid-1980s to protect the county's dirinking-water supply. At more than 21,000 acres, it contains more than a quarter of the entire Manatee River watershed.

Manatee County was recently named a 2014 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "1 million new trees planted at Duette Preserve."