Conservation Florida’s protection of Arbuckle Creek Ranch will help nature and the military
Arbuckle Creek winds its way through Highlands County toward Lake Okeechobee. Photo by Graham Norman.
When Conservation Florida and its partners save the 1,250-acre Arbuckle Creek Ranch, the land will not only protect Florida’s endangered cutthroat grass, it will also aid military operations at Avon Park Air Force Range.
Avon Park, Fla., July 06, 2020 — Conservation Florida, a leader in statewide land conservation, has entered into an agreement to buy a conservation easement on 1,250 acres in Highlands County. This marks a significant milestone in the protection of lands in the Northern Everglades that are highly valued for water resources, agriculture, military readiness, and habitat for native plants and wildlife.
“Arbuckle Creek Ranch is an exceptional property,” said Adam Bass, Conservation Florida’s director of conservation. “It will protect a mile of natural land along Arbuckle Creek, rangelands that are part of Highland County’s cultural heritage, and hundreds of acres of critical habitat. It will also provide an element of national security because it sits in alignment with the Auxiliary Field’s runway.”
The ranch is within the boundaries of the Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR) Sentinel Landscape. This vast landscape is centered around the Air Force’s “largest primary air-to-ground training range east of the Mississippi River,” according to APAFR.
“Working with Conservation Florida to acquire a conservation easement on Arbuckle Creek Ranch is a tremendous opportunity to protect working lands, promote conservation, and enhance mission sustainability at Avon Park Air Force Range,” said Buck MacLaughlin, Lt. Col., Ret. AF. “Protecting this property buffers the flight path into Arbuckle Airfield and protects night-time military training by limiting dense construction of incompatible light sources. The ability to operate at night is a distinct advantage that our military forces use while serving our country.”
At a time when Florida’s last, large ranchlands are under intense development pressures, Conservation Florida has made ranchlands in the Northern Everglades a top protection priority.
Traci Deen, the executive director and CEO of Conservation Florida, said, “The protection benefits of Arbuckle Creek Ranch extend well beyond its boundaries. There are two creeks on the property that converge and flow into Arbuckle Creek, which flows for a mile along the property. This watershed drains into the Kissimmee River and on to Lake Okeechobee. The health of the entire Greater Everglades Ecosystem hinges on lands like these.”
Arbuckle Creek Ranch exemplifies the trend of multi-purpose land conservation. Conservation Florida uses this strategy to protect land that meets many needs including recreational opportunities, agricultural production, habitat connectivity, water quality, rare and endangered species protection, and other factors -- like buffering a military base.
A cowboy rides out on a foggy morning to tend cattle on Arbuckle Creek Ranch. Photo by Carlton Ward, Jr.
Arbuckle Creek Ranch is a family-run cow-calf operation where a herd of cattle is managed with the goal of raising calves to sell. It is also home to an endangered cutthroat grass community that spans 300 hundred acres. Several species of conservation concern are associated with cutthroat grass communities including the eastern indigo snake.
Florida panthers, and other endangered Florida species, have been seen on the ranch. The natural habitat on the property is also ideal for Florida scrub jays and gopher tortoises.
With the property under contract, Conservation Florida and its partners are seeking grants and donations to buy a conservation easement, which is a binding legal agreement that will permanently restrict development of the land while also protecting its important ecological features.
The Arbuckle Creek Ranch conservation easement project is one of many that Conservation Florida is working on in the Greater Everglades ecosystem. The larger goal of the regional initiative is to form a continuous conservation corridor stretching from Lake Wales Ridge to Lake Okeechobee.
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!