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The 12,243-acre Bear Creek Forest Florida Forever project, located in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for protection by way of fee acquisition at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Florida Forest Service for coming together to conserve this property.

Bear Creek Forest is located east of Panama City and runs along the Calhoun and Gulf County lines. The property is situated within the St. Andrews Bay Watershed, a delicate ecosystem that manages stormwater runoff, safeguards water quality, offers flood protection, and replenishes aquifers and drinking water supplies. Protecting this property delivers significant benefits for water quality and quantity in Florida’s central panhandle, enhances the corridor of publicly owned lands stretching from Eglin Air Force Base to Apalachicola National Forest, and preserves habitats for species such as the pine-woods aster, flatwoods salamander, gopher tortoise, Florida black bear, and Bachman’s sparrow.

Instagram tags: @fl.dep, @flforestservice, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Environmental Protection, @Florida Forest Service, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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Trailhead Blue Springs, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, is an 11,713-acre property recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for coming together to conserve this property.

Trailhead Blue Springs is a working agricultural landscape that encompasses pine plantation and low-density cattle operation in Levy County. It envelops portions of the Waccasassa River and nearly all of Devil’s Hammock Wildlife Management Area, providing critical corridor linkages. There is a diverse set of native land cover types across the property, most of which are forested wetlands. The floodplain forests of the Waccasassa and Little Waccasassa rivers transition to large cypress and hardwood forests surrounding the agricultural operations throughout the property and contribute to the protection of numerous springsheds.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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Anderson Land & Timber, a 6,414-acre property within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for coming together to protect this land.

Anderson Land & Timber is situated between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Suwanee River to the east. The surrounding land consists of planted timber among a wetland complex of marshland and floodplain swamp. The property is surrounded by other conservation lands, providing critical linkages in the corridor. The property supports a variety of animals, including deer, turkey, wading birds, and eagles.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @jenguyton/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Jen Guyton/@Wildpath

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The Peeples Family Ranch is a 6,123-acre ranch within the Florida Wildlife Corridor recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for coming together to make this conservation easement possible.

The working cattle ranch consists of large expanses of pasture with small inclusions of natural non-forested uplands, non-forested wetlands, and forested uplands. The property has suitable habitat for the endangered Florida panther, Florida scrub-jay, and crested caracara.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @drew_mcdougall/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Drew McDougall/@Wildpath

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The 5,910-acre Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest Florida Forever project, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through Florida Forever at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Environmental Protection for coming together to conserve this property.

The Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest Florida Forever project preserves working forest lands and provides resource protection for the adjacent Escambia River watershed. The property contributes to the cleaning and filtering of surface waters by recharging the surficial aquifer and providing an additional buffer to the Escambia River and its floodplain forests that function as a wildlife corridor to many imperiled species such as the swallow-tailed kite, gopher tortoise, Florida black bear, reticulated flatwoods salamander, and red-cockaded woodpecker.

Instagram tags: @fl.dep, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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Bull Hammock Ranch is a 5,874-acre property, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowners, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Saunders Real Estate for coming together to protect this property.

Bull Hammock Ranch is a working cattle ranch consisting of scattered wetlands and an upland forested area in Martin County. The property is located approximately 6.5 miles west of Interstate 95. Development pressures are mounting from the north, south, and east due to overpopulation along the coastal areas. The permanent protection of this property provides vital habitat for crested caracara and bald eagles, which have both been documented on Bull Hammock.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @jenguyton/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Jen Guyton/@Wildpath

Map Instagram tags: Map by @angeline.maps, @livewildlyfl

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Eight Mile is a 5,737-acre property, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for coming together to make this conservation easement possible.

Eight Mile is stewarded by a pioneering Florida agricultural family and is a mosaic of timber plantation and forested wetlands, including a corridor of wetlands following Eight Mile Creek. It is a vital puzzle piece in a matrix of conservation lands in the region and will protect regional water quality by maintaining the integrity of surrounding waterways and their springsheds. The property hosts abundant wildlife species, including the Florida sandhill crane, Florida burrowing owl, Eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise, Florida black bear, wood stork, and Suwannee cooter.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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The 5,610-acre parcel of Hendrie Ranch, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for coming together to conserve this property.

Located on the eastern slope of the southern Lake Wales Ridge, Hendrie Ranch has been managed by the Hendrie family for over 65 years for beef and timber production and its importance to the greater Fisheating Creek conservation landscape. It maintains a herd of approximately 600 beef cows and often hosts the Archbold Biological Station for scientific research. Along with the common Florida black bear, rare species include the Florida scrub-jay, sandhill crane, Florida mouse, and Sherman’s fox squirrel, among many others. A historic cowboy camp dating from the 1940s is still used by cattlemen on Hendrie Ranch.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @carltonward/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @Carlton Ward/@Wildpath

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The 4,692-acre Montsdeoca Ranch, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowners, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Saunders Real Estate for coming together to protect this land.

Montsdeoca Ranch is a working cattle ranch along the Kissimmee River comprised mostly of pasture with isolated wetlands and small pine flatwoods. It is also located within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape and the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. Montsdeoca Ranch has been owned by members of the same family for over 108 years. The property supports a wide range of wildlife species, including game species like turkey, deer, and various wading birds. Listed species on the property include Crested Caracara, Florida Burrowing Owl, and Eastern Indigo Snake. This property is also likely to support the Florida grasshopper sparrow and other rare dry prairie species.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @ktbryden/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @KTBryden/@Wildpath

Map Instagram tags: Map by @angeline.maps, @livewildlyfl

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Overstreet Ranch, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for conservation easements of a total of 4,204 acres through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Florida Conservation Group for coming together to conserve this property.

Overstreet Ranch is a large-scale cattle ranch located within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape and in the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. The Overstreet family also farms a citrus grove and sod operation on the property. The ranch provides critical habitat for a variety of species including burrowing owls, eastern indigo snake, eastern diamondback, Florida panther, Florida black bear, and snail kite.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, @floridaconservationfcg, Photos by @awallace339/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, @FloridaConserve, Photos by Alexander Wallace/@Wildpath

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The 3,382-acre Keith Whaley Ranch, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowners, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Saunders Real Estate for coming together to conserve this property.

The Keith Whaley Ranch is a working cattle ranch near the Aucilla River and consists of timber plantation with extensive wetlands. It is mostly contained within the Aucilla and Wacissa Watershed Florida Forever project, providing critical linkages in the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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The 2,996-acre Williamson Cattle Company East property, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Florida Conservation Group for coming together to make this conservation easement possible.

Most of the acreage in Williamson Cattle Company East is identified as Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas, supporting rare and vulnerable species including the Florida panther. The protection of this property is a natural extension of the protected lands occurring in the Northern Okeechobee Watershed and Lower Kissimmee Basin, facilitating landscape connectivity throughout the state.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, @floridaconservationfcg, Photos 1-5 by @jenguyton/@wildpath, Photo 6 by @carltonward/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, @FloridaConserve, Photos 1-5 by Jen Guyton/@Wildpath, Photo 6 by @CarltonWard/@Wildpath

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The 2,788-acre One Nine Cattle ranch, located adjacent to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Florida Conservation Group for coming together to conserve this property.

One Nine Cattle is a family-run cattle operation located within the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area and the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape in Okeechobee County. They also lease out land to farmers for green beans and watermelon. The protection of this property is a natural extension of the protected lands occurring in the Northern Okeechobee Watershed and benefits a variety of wide-ranging wildlife species such as the Florida panther and Florida black bear.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, @floridaconservationfcg, Photos by @jenguyton/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, @FloridaConserve, Photos by Jen Guyton/@Wildpath

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The 2,718-acre French Golden Gate property, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Saunders Real Estate for coming together to protect this ranch.

French Golden Gate is a working cattle ranch with row crop farming interspersed with numerous wetlands and flatwoods in northern DeSoto County. The property is located in the upper Peace River watershed, where surface water from the southern portions of the property flows to Joshua Creek. The farming operation rotates crops of watermelon, cucumbers, and hay, and includes fire-maintained slash pine flatwoods that support abundant native wildlife and plant species.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @jenguyton/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Jen Guyton/@Wildpath

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The 2,483-acre Upper Shoal River Florida Forever project, located adjacent to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for permanent protection by way of fee acquisition through Florida Forever at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and The Trust for Public Land for coming together to conserve this property.

The Upper Shoal River Florida Forever project aims to conserve timber resources within the Upper Shoal River watershed, protect unaltered and intact natural seepage streams, and provide habitat for imperiled species including the blackmouth shiner, gopher tortoise, and eastern indigo snake. Given its proximity to Eglin Air Force Base, this property highlights an important overlap between the state’s environmental conservation initiatives and the military’s need to create buffer zones around existing installments. As Florida’s newest state park, the subject property will provide opportunities for camping, hiking, biking, and access for the expansion of the state-designated Shoal River Paddling trail.

Instagram tags: @fl.dep, @trustforpublicland, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Environmental Protection, @Trust for Public Land, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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The 1,335-acre Volusia Conservation Corridor Project – Carter Quail Ranch, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for permanent protection by way of fee acquisition through Florida Forever at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Environmental Protection for coming together to conserve this property.

Located in central Volusia County, the property contributes to a corridor of conservation lands extending from the Ocala National Forest south to Fort Drum Marsh. The property is situated in the Deep Creek St. Johns River watershed and contains two significant basin swamps that run from north to south that drain into Lake Ashby and Spruce Creek Swamp. The ranch also provides crucial habitat connectivity and protection for rare and imperiled species such as the Florida black bear, wood stork, gopher tortoise, and southeastern fox squirrel.

Instagram tags: @fl.dep, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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The 764-acre Green Swamp Florida Forever Project, was recently approved for permanent protection through conservation easement at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowners and Florida Department of Environmental Protection for coming together to make this conservation easement possible.

The mosaic of cypress swamps, pine forests, and pastures known as the Green Swamp is vital to the water supply of Central Florida. The Green Swamp gives rise to four major river systems and is important for maintaining the flow of water from the Floridan Aquifer. By preserving the combination of land uses in the region, the Green Swamp protects the Floridan aquifer and several rivers. The property is located just south of Interstate 4, the property will provide a critical buffer with existing conservation areas and the rapidly growing region between Tampa and Orlando. The land provides habitat for many native Florida species such as sandhill crane, gopher tortoise, bald eagle, and Florida black bear.

Instagram tags: @fl.dep, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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The 418-acre Raley Grove-Florida Highlands project, located adjacent to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Saunders Real Estate for coming together to conserve this property.

Raley Grove has long been owned by the Raley family and used in citrus production. The stands of trees range between 2 and about 30 years old. The surrounding area is primarily citrus grove and pasture but also includes lakes Annie, Ada, and Josephine.

Instagram tags: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

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The 113-acre Catfish Creek Florida Forever Project, located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, was recently approved for permanent protection by way of fee acquisition through Florida Forever at the December 17 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet.

Thank you to the landowner and Florida Department of Environmental Protection for coming together to protect this property.

The Catfish Creek Florida Forever project extends over the high scrub ridges and relic sand dunes of the Lake Wales Ridge geological complex and is centered between the shoreline of Lake Pierce, Lake Hatchineha, and Lake Rosalie. The property has over 6,000 feet of frontage on Lake Pierce and is within the Upper Kissimmee Basin. The protection of this property will help protect water resources by restricting development. Previously utilized as a lodge and educational complex, the property has infrastructure that will support recreation and educational opportunities to the adjoining state park.

Instagram tags: @fl.dep, Photos by @leyoho/@wildpath

Facebook tags: @Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Photos by Lauren Yoho/@Wildpath

Map Instagram tags: Map by @angeline.maps, @livewildlyfl

Map Facebook tags: Map by Angeline Meeks, @Livewildlyfl