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Our Mission The mission of the Conservation Trust for Florida is to protect the rural landscapes of Florida. We focus on farms, ranches, working forests, and natural areas that provide landscape connections. The Conservation Trust for Florida protects rural lands vital to the state's character and economy through conservation easements and land purchases, and by helping rural landowners retain their traditional and productive land-use activities. The Conservation Trust for Florida was created as a nonprofit 501(c)3 land trust to protect these dwindling landscapes. Our long-term goal is to ensure that rural lifestyles will continue, that open lands are protected for future generations, and that development is effectively directed away from culturally, aesthetically, historically, and ecologically valuable rural areas. CTF in the News: Lakeland Ledger Farm, Land Bills Help Conservation, July 2008. Farmers and ranchers in Florida received good news as two major rural land-conservation programs, the Farm Bill, and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (a state program), were approved as part of legislation. These programs can help family farmers hold onto their land by providing them with cash payments or tax incentives. Ocala to Osceloa Greenway Update CTF and its partners recently released thier new brochure on the O2O Greenways project. The Ocala National Forest to Osceola National Forest Ecological Greenway, or O2O, is a project that aims to conserve land between these two forests. It will create a wildlife corridor connecting large conservation lands in Florida and southeast Georgia. Many species are sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation, which occurs daily as land is converted to development and as roads are built. New Federal Law Improves Tax Break for Conservation Agreements to Save Farms and Other Rural Lands Congress recently passed a law to enhance the tax benefits of protecting your land by donating a voluntary conservation agreement. If you own land with important natural, historic, or agricultural resources, donating a voluntary conservation agreement can be one of the smartest ways to conserve the land you love and protect America's natural heritage, while maintaining your private property rights and possibly realizing significant federal tax benefits. Click HERE to learn more about the tax benefits of conservation easements. New Video on Conservation Easements An episode of the University of Florida’s Living Green project features farmers who have partnered with CTF and the Red Hills Conservation Program to establish conservation easements. Dr. Mark Hostetler visits several farmers who are establishing conservation easements on their property to discuss how conservation easements work and how a farmer/landowner can establish them on his or her property. Watch the video or buy the DVD on Living Green's website. Help Raise Funds for CTF Art Benefits CTF Artist Susan Trammell will generously donate $250 of the proceeds from
the sale of the framed original water color titled
"Flame Azalea - Rhododendron austrinum" to CTF. Flame Azalea
is on display at Harvest Thyme Cafe on Main Street in Gainesville (12" x 16",
price $500). Artist Elsa Kula will donate all of the proceeds of the pastel titled "Memories" to CTF. Retail value is $300. Contact CTF for more information. Donation of Tree Seedlings Benefits CTF Forester and CTF Treasurer Michael Campbell has donated a "flat" of 52 tree seedlings for well-drained soils valued at $70 and includes: 10 sand live oaks; 10 myrtle oaks; 10 turkey oaks; 5 Chapman's oaks; 5 sand post oaks; 7 wire grass seedlings; and 5 lopsided Indian grass seedlings. Contact CTF for more information. iGive.com Shop for gifts and contribute to CTF too!
Allied Organizations CTF is a sponsor member of The Land Trust Alliance
and encourages your support of The American Farmland Trust
Lake Palestine, masthead photo, courtesy of Erik Lewis. |
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