Nearly 4,000 acres in Collier and Hendry counties are part of a nearly 35,000-acre package of what is labeled as critical conservation land approved for protection Wednesday.
Additionally, approval of a permanent agricultural land conservation easement for a nearly 4,000-acre area in Charlotte County will help support Southwest Florida’s water resources.
The 35,000-acre approval came via Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet through the Florida Forever Program and legislative appropriations, marking a significant step in preserving the state’s natural heritage.
This investment includes five acquisitions, all located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, securing habitat for Florida’s iconic wildlife and enhancing landscape connectivity.
The Collier and Hendry area, within the Caloosahatchee-Big Cypress Corridor, reinforces critical Everglades and Florida panther habitat.
“The natural beauty of Florida enriches the lives of all who call it home, and I thank Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet for their leadership in protecting our state’s environment for future generations,” said Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert.
About today’s land acquisition approvals:
- A combined 3,881-acre acquisition within the Caloosahatchee-Big Cypress Corridor in Collier and Hendry counties will enhance connectivity between the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress National Preserve and Dinner Island Wildlife Management Area. Protecting these ecologically significant habitats and agricultural lands will prevent habitat fragmentation and ensure safe passage for imperiled species, including the federally endangered Florida panther. It is also within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
- A 21,625-acre acquisition within the Waccasassa Watershed Florida Forever Project in Levy County will protect working forests, safeguard the Waccasassa River and Bay and provide an upland buffer for Waccasassa Bay State Preserve and the Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve. Home to wildlife such as bald eagles, gopher tortoises, Florida black bears and swallow-tailed kites, this site also contains historic remnants from Florida’s once-thriving turpentine industry. It is within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
- A 7,548-acre conservation easement within the Ranch Reserve Forest Florida Forever Project in Osceola County will preserve pastures, pine flatwoods and wetland corridors, linking existing conservation lands such as Wolf Creek Ranch and Escape Ranch. The land provides habitat for endangered species including the arogos skipper butterfly, eastern indigo snake, Florida burrowing owl and red-cockaded woodpecker. It is also within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
- A 1,541-acre acquisition within the Etoniah-Cross Florida Greenway Florida Forever Project in Putnam County will connect the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway with other conservation lands and protect key surface water and aquifer recharge areas flowing into the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers. It provides habitat for Florida black bears, gopher tortoises, sandhill cranes and swallow-tailed kites. The property is also within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the Ocala-to-Osceola Wildlife Corridor.
The Governor and Cabinet also approved the acquisition of permanent agricultural land conservation easements over more than 6,000 acres within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, ensuring that working lands remain undeveloped while continuing to support Florida’s agricultural economy.
One of those easements supports Southwest Florida’s water resources via the Florida Cabinet’s approval of an easement for Ryals Citrus and Cattle, which covers more than 3,700 acres in Charlotte County. The easement ensures the land will be preserved for agricultural use while protecting vital natural resources that feed the region’s drinking water supply.
The area is under tremendous pressure from development, but the Ryals placed this second segment of their 6,568-acre cattle and citrus operation in a perpetual easement to counter the development pressure and preserve their century-old operation. Last year, the family placed nearly 3,000 acres in a conservation easement with the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
More information on today’s land acquisition approvals can be found here and here.
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