The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has reached a new milestone with the Florida Forever Program securing its 200th conservation easement. The program now protects over 364,000 acres across Florida as it marks its 25th anniversary.
Since its inception in 2000, the Florida Forever Program has worked to conserve native landscapes, watersheds, agricultural lands, and wildlife habitats throughout the state. Conservation easements allow private landowners to keep ownership of their property while restricting development. These agreements aim to preserve natural, scenic, cultural, and open spaces for future generations and support sustainable land use. DEP’s conservation easements also require agricultural producers to implement best management practices to help protect water quality and maintain productive farms and ranches.
“Conservation easements are one of the most important tools we have to protect Florida’s lands and waters,” said DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “From working farms and ranches to wildlife habitats and scenic landscapes, Florida Forever safeguards the resources that make our state special.”
Some notable conservation easements under the program include:
– Fisheating Creek Ecosystem in Glades and Highlands counties covers more than 66,000 acres through four easements acquired from 2000–2025. This area is the only undammed tributary of Lake Okeechobee and provides habitat for species such as the federally endangered Florida panther, gopher tortoise, and red-cockaded woodpecker.
– Nokuse Plantation in Walton County spans 17,880 acres acquired in 2004. It is part of both the Florida Wildlife Corridor and Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape. The plantation helps protect water quality in the Choctawhatchee River watershed and offers habitat for imperiled species like the gopher tortoise and Cooley’s meadowrue.
– Avalon Plantation in Jefferson County includes 11,937 acres acquired in 2023 within the Red Hills Region. This site supports high-quality upland habitats crucial for species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker.
– Deer Creek Ranch in DeSoto County consists of 5,698 acres acquired in 2024. As a working cattle ranch, it protects parts of the Peace River watershed and serves as habitat for species including the Florida scrub-jay.
– Letchworth Mounds in Jefferson County features 1,270 acres adjacent to an archaeological state park that contains significant prehistoric earthwork mound complexes.
With this latest achievement, DEP continues efforts to work with private landowners through programs like Florida Forever to ensure long-term protection of valuable natural resources across the state.
For more information on these conservation efforts visit https://floridaforever.org/.
