CTF Celebrates First Land Deal!
We Secure and Will Manage 952 Acres in Northern Marion County

Thanks to the efforts of dedicated CTF members, 952 acres of prime native Florida habitat in northern Marion County will be preserved! Known as Price's Scrub, just south of the Alachua County line adjacent to I -75, the parcel has been spared from development and will become a state-owned preserve and low-impact recreation area.

Application for purchase of the land was submitted to the State of Florida's Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT) by CTF member Linda Duever. In late June, after input from CTF, the Governor and Cabinet approved its purchase as well as management by CTF. This is the first land procurement in our brief history!

Price's Scrub includes extensive areas of mesic and dry hammock, ravines, several water bodies, and scrub habitat. It has many of the plant species associated with intact and mature habitat types and, with proper management, will be returned to a fine example of pre-settlement north Florida forests. It also eventually will be opened for light recreational use such as hiking and equestrian trails.

OGT personnel from Tallahassee and Ocala visited the site on June 13th to determine its value to the state. The CTF Board of Directors and several members organized the field trip and toured nearly 25 people through Price's Scrub to show off its beautiful habitats. Representatives from Alachua County's land acquisition program, Payne's Prairie State Preserve, Florida Division of Parks, and surrounding landowners attended. The group also toured Ledwith Prairie, a several-thousand acre property nominated by CTF for acquisition by the Alachua County Forever Program that is currently under active negotiation for purchase. This visit placed Price's Scrub in the context of other conservation lands in the southern Alachua and northern Marion County area.

CTF is pursuing two major projects in this area. The Levy Project will be an ecologically important connection between the Ocala National Forest and Goethe State Forest via Payne's Prairie, Watermelon Pond, Ledwith Prairie, and Devil's Hammock. The Northwest Marion Greenway will form a recreational trail system connecting the Micanopy area to Goethe through Marion County's horse farms.

Management plans for Price's Scrub are not yet developed, but will include provision of pedestrian, bike, and equestrian trails, and ecological restoration. If all goes according to plan, you soon will have an outstanding natural area for conservation and passive recreation centrally located between Ocala and Gainesville! We will keep you posted on the project as it unfolds.

CTF Receives Major Grant from E.O. Dunn Foundation!

A simple phone call on May 15 represented a huge leap for CTF in its development as an effective conservation organization. We were told that our grant proposal to the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation competed successfully with many other proposals and would be funded! This foundation grant will help fund organizational development of CTF for the next two years and is a huge boost to our efforts. Less than 8% of the fund requests were granted, so this is a major endorsement of our work and our potential by an important Florida foundation. Monies will be used to begin staffing CTF and for development of projects and general capacity building. CTF can now make better progress on expanding the geographic reach of our educational and land protection programs.

The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation has awarded funds to a variety of non-profit entities for the betterment of Florida's flora, fauna, and human communities for nearly 20 years, and CTF is proud that they recognize our potential to improve Florida's environmental future. We are working hard to earn the trust placed in us!

More Grant Applications.

CTF has been hard at work trying to pull in more monies for projects and equipment so that your membership dollars can stretch farther. We submitted a small proposal in May to the Kodak American Greenways Fund. We asked for nearly $2500 to fund a preliminary study of a possible corridor connection between Ocala and Osceola National Forests. If successful (we should hear in late summer), we will use the grant to support graduate students in a University of Florida studio in landscape architecture to develop a database on land ownerships within the corridor, as well as assess the socioeconomic status within the region. This would lay the groundwork for much more extensive work — in collaboration with several other groups and presumably to be funded by other foundations — to actually secure those lands in conservation status from willing landowners through easements and purchases. If successful, this multi-year project would be a major piece of the greenway puzzle in central and northern Florida and a huge boost to efforts to reconnect large fragmented landscapes (see "BIG Dreams").

We also applied to the U.S. Olympic Committee for one of their laptop computers used at the 2002 winter games. This is admittedly a long shot, as they had a large number of requests and are favoring schools, but we are giving it a try. If unsuccessful, we could use a new or used laptop computer at a reduced price (or free!). Any ideas out there?

SF-SF Connection Moving Forward

A major corridor connection between the San Felasco Hammock and the Santa Fe River in northern Alachua County has moved one step closer to fruition. With scientific assistance from CTF, the Santa Fe Land Trust, headed up by Mr. Dan Smith, has moved forward with its efforts to secure the Burnett Lake area, north of the City of Alachua. This roughly 275-acre area is considered a "keystone piece" that will spark the subsequent protection of a much larger corridor. The Alachua County Forever program approved purchase of a conservation easement of several parcels in the Burnett Lake area. We congratulate our colleagues at the Santa Fe Land Trust!

BIG Dreams!

CTF is in the very early stages of collaborative work with several other organizations to protect a corridor that would connect the Ocala National Forest with the Osceola National Forest and Okefenokee Swamp. This 60-something mile corridor has been identified as one of the 10 most important wildlife and greenway connections in the state. Meetings and plans are ongoing; stay tuned for this one!

Orange Lake and Overlook: Joy or Despair?

For many months, CTF had its ear to the ground regarding the so-called Orange Lake Overlook, the spectacular vista on SR 441 just south of McIntosh in Marion County. This is the several-hundred-acre hilltop vista that looks down on Orange Lake and which has been captured by many artists, enjoyed by countless stargazers and shuttle launch enthusiasts, and in general revered by all who pass by. We have been concerned with possible development of the area and have been working to head that off. In recent weeks, CTF has contacted the major landowners to open discussions about the fate of this vista and have also talked to the state about how they might help. We have had some bright spots and some setbacks, and this is a work in progress. We welcome anyone with knowledge of or an interest in this old Florida gem to join us in our ongoing efforts.

CTF has a New Executive Director

In May, the CTF Board approved Gary Meffe for the post of Executive Director. It was felt that Gary could more effectively contribute to CTF's goals by serving in this position rather than as a Board Member. He will oversee day-to-day operations, as directed by the Board. As one of his first official actions, he represented CTF at a national conservation easement conference in June near Orlando. This conference attracted individuals from all over the US to listen to experts discuss conservation easements and exchange information and experiences. As a result, CTF is much better positioned to pursue conservation easements, which will protect Florida's rural landscapes while keeping lands in private and productive use.

Spreading the Message

CTF members have been busy sharing information with local landowners about how they can contribute to saving our rural heritage. We participated in several public events, including the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Spring Festival, Marion County's Earth Day Celebration at Silver River State Park, and an IFAS sponsored Small Farm Conference at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala. Let us know if you have an appropriate event at which you would like us to exhibit!

Wish List

We are in need of the following items. If you have used equipment or know of ways to obtain these items at reduced cost, we are all ears:

• Digital camera
• Laptop computer
• File cabinet
• Cell phone service
• GPS Unit
• Folding tables

Thanks for your continued support of CTF. Don't forget to periodically check out our website (www.conserveflorida.org) and tell your friends about us. Also, be on the lookout for information about our second annual fundraiser/BBQ!

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