At a dedication service, Walker Ranch officially becomes Disney Wilderness Preserve. Disney and the South Florida Water Management Disrict had come to an agreement in 1992, allowing Disney to develop on an area in Central Florida (closer to their theme parks) if Disney would purchase and preserve Walker Ranch, 8,500 acres of wetlands located about 15 miles south of Disney World. The preserve is home to two endangered species, the bald eagle and the wood stork, as well as several other threatened species. Disney will use the Central Florida area to build Celebration, a new city themed after a typical small American town of the 1940s and '50s. Today the Disney Wilderness Preserve is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy.
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