Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the permanent protection of more than 1,675 acres of working agricultural land in Levy and Putnam counties through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
The preservation effort relies on rural lands protection easements, which prevent future real estate development while allowing active farming, ranching, and timber operations to continue.
“When we protect working agricultural land, we’re protecting Florida’s future. Every easement we complete keeps these lands in production, strengthens our rural communities, and protects them from future development,” Simpson said. “Through historic investments in the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, we’re ensuring Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and timber producers can continue doing what they do best while preserving the landscapes and natural resources that define our state.”
The expansion includes two distinct properties, both enrolled in FDACS Best Management Practices and located within the legally designated Florida Wildlife Corridor:
- Osceola Pines (Levy County): A 545-acre timber operation preserved through an easement totaling $1,030,000, with $515,000 provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Roughly half the property consists of pine plantation, while approximately 250 acres feature mature cypress and wetland hardwood basin swamp.
- Patricia Flanders Property (Putnam County): An 1,131-acre timber site located north of Ocklawaha Lake, protected through an easement valued at $1,301,000. Composed of two tracts within the Etoniah/Cross Florida Greenway Florida Forever project, the acreage contains planted timber, sandhill, and riparian wetlands linked to Little Orange Creek and Cabbage Creek.
Established under the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act of 2001, the state program acquires development rights from property owners rather than purchasing the land outright. This structure allows private agricultural operations to remain on local tax rolls without adding state maintenance costs for publicly owned land.
Since its inception, the program has permanently preserved over 241,000 acres of agricultural land, with more than 176,000 acres secured during Simpson’s administration. Funding support for the program has totaled over $1.1 billion in state appropriations since 2022, which includes $425 million allocated in the 2026/2027 state budget.
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