Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet have approved funding to protect more than 20,000 acres of conservation land across the state. The $167.25 million investment will safeguard a range of natural habitats, with six properties located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and another expanding Cary State Forest in Duval County.
In addition to these conservation measures, the Cabinet also authorized the transfer of a 2.63-acre parcel in Miami-Dade County adjacent to the Freedom Tower for use as the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library.
“Yesterday’s approvals protect more than 20,000 acres of Florida’s most important landscapes,” said Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “By conserving these lands, we are preserving clean water, safeguarding wildlife and ensuring future generations can experience the Florida we know and love.”
The approved acquisitions include two conservation easements and one purchase totaling 13,375 acres within the Caloosahatchee Big Cypress Corridor in Collier and Hendry counties. These areas enhance connections between existing protected lands such as the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Dinner Island Wildlife Management Area. The properties provide essential habitat for species like the Florida panther while supporting agricultural activities.
A 3,094-acre conservation easement was approved within Putnam County’s Little Orange Creek Corridor project. This area serves as a key link in the Ocala-to-Osceola Wildlife Corridor and supports ongoing restoration efforts by its landowner to improve forest health and wetland quality.
Another approval covers a 1,670-acre conservation easement at Bar-B Ranch in Martin County near the C-44 Stormwater Treatment Area. Identified under the Indian River Lagoon-South project—a component of broader Everglades restoration—this working ranch aids regional water storage and quality improvements that benefit local waterways including St. Lucie Estuary and Indian River Lagoon.
In Osceola County, a 1,400-acre easement at Big Bend Swamp/Holopaw Ranch will connect protected lands between Bull Creek and Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. The property maintains an animal crossing under the Florida Turnpike and helps sustain aquifer recharge for water systems leading into Lake Okeechobee and beyond.
Duval County will see a 543-acre addition to Cary State Forest through acquisition from a previously residentially zoned parcel now set aside for habitat protection—including for gopher tortoises—and public recreation opportunities managed by the Florida Forest Service.
Okaloosa County received approval for a four-acre expansion at Destin’s Norriego Point Beach Access and Park to increase beachfront access along with parking facilities and recreational opportunities such as boating or fishing.
Additionally, permanent agricultural land conservation easements were approved over more than 10,000 acres through programs run by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
