Three rural properties including one that was part of an old cattle trail that ran from Fort Pierce to Fort Myers will be shielded from residential and commercial development under conservation-easement deals with the state.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson on Friday announced the deals through the state’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. They involve a 550-acre dairy operation in Gilchrist County, a 245-acre timber farm in Baker County and a 1,600-acre cattle ranch in Highlands County.
The Highlands property, the Hart Preserve, is a cow-calf operation with seasonal hay and sod production. The ranch contains both natural upland and wetland areas as well as improved pastures.
A segment of the Old Cracker Trail that was part of a Ft. Pierce to Ft. Myers cattle drive route is still present on Albritton’s Hart Pasture. The trail used to run to just east of Bradenton and was used for moving both horses and cows cross-state from the 1800s to the mid-20th century.
Conservation easements allow landowners to continue using property for agricultural purposes while agreeing not to develop the land. A 2023 law allows the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to acquire conservation easements under $5 million without having to get approval from Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet.
Simpson said in a news release that the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program keeps “property on the local tax rolls and requires every property owner to maintain the land and its natural resources according to best management practices.”
The deal involving the Watson Farm in Gilchrist County totaled $1.54 million. Kirkland Farm in Baker County totaled $1.008 million. And the Hart Pasture in Highlands County totaled $4.8 million.
In December, the department published a list of nearly 260 farms, ranches and forests whose owners are seeking to be considered for easement purchases.