Conservation Florida Celebrates Submission of More Than 11,000 Acres to Florida Department of Agriculture Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
All photos by Adam Strang Bass
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 10, 2023) – Conservation Florida, in partnership with Wildlands Conservation, successfully submitted over 11,000 acres of agricultural land to be considered for funding from the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program during the 2023 application cycle, which ended July 27.
"With millions of acres of land still to protect to establish a functioning, connected, and conserved Florida Wildlife Corridor, it's imperative that these working agricultural lands are prioritized," said Frances Nevill, Conservation Florida's Director of External Affairs and Strategic Communications. "Florida's agricultural lands are critical to our state's water resources, the protection of diverse habitats that sustain wildlife as well as to strengthen our state's food security. We commend Commissioner Simpson for his continued and tireless dedication to ensuring Florida's agricultural lands are protected. We are, and continue to be, a voice for protecting Florida's vital working agricultural and timber lands to ensure that farms and ranches remain in the hands of farmers and ranchers."
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) is an agricultural land preservation program designed to protect important agricultural lands through the acquisition of permanent agricultural land conservation easements. Submitted projects are reviewed by a Technical Review Team, ranked through a formal process by the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Selection Committee, and approved by the Governor and Cabinet.
Agricultural lands act as crucial connectors for the Florida Wildlife Corridor and Conservation Florida is a dedicated partner in the effort. Many organizations (federal, state, and nonprofits) are partnering to piece together large tracts of land that include farms, ranches, and natural habitats to form a corridor of protected lands across the entire state.
The 14 projects submitted by Conservation Florida to RFLPP stretch from Santa Rosa County in west Florida all the way to the Caloosahatchee River in Glades County. The properties are vital agricultural lands in the Florida Wildlife Corridor and several are critical linkages. These projects highlight the important role agriculture plays in a connected and conserved Florida. Without projects like these, a protected Florida Wildlife Corridor won't exist. The projects also represent upland forests, herbaceous and forested wetlands, and the lands within the greater Florida Ecological Greenway Network.
"Conservation Florida is very proud to have worked with our partners at Wildlands and these landowners to submit over 11,000 acres and 14 individual projects to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program," said Adam Bass, Vice President of Conservation Florida. "Coming from a multigenerational family of citrus growers, this program and its benefit to the state of Florida and our agricultural families cannot be overstated. We need agriculture in this state for food security, for healthy rural communities, and for the benefit of wildlife. Thank you to FDACS and Commissioner Simpson for continuing to pursue land protection programs for our farmers, ranchers, and all Floridians."
Created in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the RFLPP has acquired conservation easements on nearly 69,000 acres of working agricultural land. Many of these lands are important connectors within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a statewide network of nearly 18 million acres of connected lands and waters supporting wildlife and people. This program is vital to meeting the state's conservation goals and protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
“Being multi-generational property owners in Florida, we’re interested to see what role we can play in helping preserve some of the landscape we’ve come to love over the course of our lives.," said Mark Wheeler, a landowner Conservation Florida is working with. "Whether it’s been production agriculture, grazing cattle, or trading property, Florida land has blessed our family in so many ways and we’re excited to see how the RFLPP can benefit farmers and ranchers while also maintaining some of this state’s charm that attracted our ancestors and convinced them to make this their home.”
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land conservancy working to conserve Florida’s water, wildlife, wild places, and protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The organization’s conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, wildlife corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy, and nature-based recreation. Since its founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has prioritized strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 32,000 acres of critical habitat.
For More Information Contact:
Frances Nevill, Director, External Affairs + Strategic Communications