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More than 8,000 acres of rural ranchlands in the Peace River and Lake Okeechobee watersheds were officially conserved at today’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet. The parcels were approved unanimously to forever remain wildlife habitat and working ranches under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. “We are so grateful to the Dept. of Agriculture and its land protection program for working with our state’s best land stewards to conserve these properties,” said Julie Morris, Director of the not-for-profit Florida Conservation Group. “We also appreciate Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet for bringing these easement projects forward and approving them unanimously. It is investments like this in natural Florida that will maintain both our rural economies and our wildlife habitat.” The Florida Conservation Group, which is based in Myakka City—a rural community in southeastern Manatee County—has been working with ranchers and other landowners for more than a decade to secure conservation easements on four of the properties approved Tuesday. The projects total more than 8,000 acres across three counties in the Peace River and Lake Okeechobee Watersheds. Now that the conservation easements on the properties have been approved, the land will be protected from development and provide both natural and working lands important for wildlife habitat, connected wildlife movement corridors, and water resources. All four easement projects are on lands long cared for by some of Florida’s earliest settlers, who still run cattle operations in southwest Florida. The Keen Ranch is a working cattle ranch located near Arcadia in DeSoto County, and an easement totaling 1,071 acres will be protected along Horse Creek, a tributary of the Peace River. Charlie Creek Cattle Company is protecting 1,027 acres along another tributary of the Peace River, Charlie Creek in northeastern Hardee County. Doyle Carlton III is protecting another 3.068 acres of his family’s River Property located in the Lake Okeechobee watershed, which includes more than a mile of Kissimmee River shoreline. The final easement is on 2,846 acres of the Ryals Citrus and Cattle company in Charlotte County. That land provides habitat for endangered Florida panther, scrub jays and gopher tortoises and will help protect water quality for the Charlotte Harbor Estuary. The Florida Conservation Group worked with the Dept. of Agriculture and landowners to help protect the acreage, working alongside its partner organization the National Wildlife Refuge Association.
More than 8,000 acres of rural ranchlands in the Peace River and Lake Okeechobee watersheds were officially conserved at today’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet. The parcels were approved unanimously to forever remain wildlife habitat and working ranches under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
“We are so grateful to the Dept. of Agriculture and its land protection program for working with our state’s best land stewards to conserve these properties,” said Julie Morris, Director of the not-for-profit Florida Conservation Group. “We also appreciate Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet for bringing these easement projects forward and approving them unanimously. It is investments like this in natural Florida that will maintain both our rural economies and our wildlife habitat.”
The Florida Conservation Group, which is based in Myakka City—a rural community in southeastern Manatee County—has been working with ranchers and other landowners for more than a decade to secure conservation easements on four of the properties approved Tuesday. The projects total more than 8,000 acres across three counties in the Peace River and Lake Okeechobee Watersheds.
Now that the conservation easements on the properties have been approved, the land will be protected from development and provide both natural and working lands important for wildlife habitat, connected wildlife movement corridors, and water resources. All four easement projects are on lands long cared for by some of Florida’s earliest settlers, who still run cattle operations in southwest Florida.
The Keen Ranch is a working cattle ranch located near Arcadia in DeSoto County, and an easement totaling 1,071 acres will be protected along Horse Creek, a tributary of the Peace River.
Charlie Creek Cattle Company is protecting 1,027 acres along another tributary of the Peace River, Charlie Creek in northeastern Hardee County.
Doyle Carlton III is protecting another 3.068 acres of his family’s River Property located in the Lake Okeechobee watershed, which includes more than a mile of Kissimmee River shoreline.
The final easement is on 2,846 acres of the Ryals Citrus and Cattle company in Charlotte County. That land provides habitat for endangered Florida panther, scrub jays and gopher tortoises and will help protect water quality for the Charlotte Harbor Estuary.
The Florida Conservation Group worked with the Dept. of Agriculture and landowners to help protect the acreage, working alongside its partner organization the National Wildlife Refuge Association.