A toll road is on its way to Split Oak Forest.
The toll road will bisect Split Oak Forest, land which has been jointly owned and conserved by Orange and Osceola counties for almost 30 years.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to approve the plan 6-1 at a meeting Wednesday, after residents and local leaders opposed the change.
The FWC ruling allows the Central Florida Expressway Authority to pave 60 acres of the land for the road.
In return, the authority has pledged some $43 million dollars toward conserving land in Osceola County, including the rest of Split Oak Forest.
It also donated 1,500 acres of wetland and forest surrounding Split Oak.
While Split Oak is owned by Orange and Osceola counties, it is managed by the FWC.
The Friends of Split Oak Forest, said much of the land has been used to protect the habitats of the gopher tortoise and Florida scrub-jay.
The land is also a mitigation bank that helps to offset the environmental impacts of private and public entities including the Orange County Convention Center.
A number of Florida plants and animals call the area home including: the gopher tortoise, the Florida scrub-jay, and Florida sandhill crane.
The advocates said the road will threaten these species.
Watch the full FWC meeting here. Read through the full presentation on Split Oak from the FWC meeting:
