TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved land deals that could help protect 86,819 acres across the state. The approvals included land purchases and acquiring conservation easements, which limit development on agricultural land.
The deals total $318 million, with $8.39 million going for 2,483 acres in central Walton County, where a new state park is planned that will double as a buffer for Eglin Air Force Base. The deals include $111.24 million from the Florida Forever conservation program for seven parcels totaling 24,153 acres.
Five of the Florida Forever deals involve the state buying land, and two establish conservation easements that allow landowners to continue agricultural uses in exchange for shielding the properties from development. At $32.65 million, the largest Florida Forever purchase is for 12,243 acres from Bear Creek Timber LLC in Bay County.
The land is about six miles north of Tyndall Air Force Base. DeSantis and the Cabinet also approved spending a total of $206.85 million, through the state’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, for 13 conservation easements covering 62,666 acres in 10 counties.
Julie Morris, executive director of the Florida Conservation Group, said the easements provide protection for properties that “provide us greenspace, food security, wildlife corridors, clean air” and clean water.
“We have a short window of time to do this, as development rapidly encroaches in rural areas. These lands are not going to be here forever,” Morris said. “Many are not going to be here in five or 10 years. So, now is the time where we desperately need funding.”
The largest easement involves the state paying $50.105 million for 5,875 acres of the Bull Hammock Ranch in Martin County. The land is about 6.5 miles west of Interstate 95, with state staff saying, “development pressures are mounting from the north, south, and east due to overpopulation along the coastal areas.”
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