The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has secured a conservation easement for Kenansville Ranch, a 7,514-acre working cattle ranch in Osceola County. The move aims to preserve the ranch’s agricultural use while protecting important wildlife habitats. The property is part of the Ranch Reserve Florida Forever Project, which is a priority area for conservation.
Kenansville Ranch is home to about 1,600 cattle and includes pastures, pine flatwoods, and wetlands that are fed by Wolf Creek, Tenmile Creek, and Sixmile Creek. The conservation easement allows continued agricultural production but requires landowners to use best management practices to protect water quality and the environment.
“Conservation easements preserve Florida’s landscapes while keeping working lands productive,” said DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “By supporting agriculture, safeguarding water resources and protecting wildlife, projects like Kenansville Ranch strengthen Florida’s role in the nation’s food security and natural resource conservation.”
The ranch is located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and supports several rare and imperiled species, including the bald eagle, eastern indigo snake, Florida burrowing owl, red-cockaded woodpecker, and sandhill crane. It also connects to other conservation lands managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District, creating a larger area for wildlife movement. The conservation easement was approved by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet at a previous Cabinet meeting.
The Florida Forever Program is the state’s main tool for land conservation, providing environmental, recreational, and preservation benefits such as water protection, storm resilience, habitat protection, and outdoor recreation. Since 2019, Florida has allocated more than $1.4 billion to the program. Of this amount, $950 million was directed specifically to the Florida Wildlife Corridor. These investments have enabled the DEP to conserve over 374,000 acres since 2019, with 91% of those lands located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
More information about the Florida Forever Program is available at FloridaForever.org.
