About 1,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands in Putnam County are now under the protection of the state of Florida following a purchase orchestrated by the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT[1]).
The land conservation organization teamed up with the Putnam Land Conservancy[2], The Conservation Fund[3] and the state of Florida to preserve 1,086 acres of property on the First Coast. The land used to be owned by Rayonier Inc.[4], a large forestry and lumber company.
“This acquisition is an example of how entities working together can really make a difference, and now more than 1,000 acres of land in Florida will remain natural forever,” said Allison DeFoor, President and CEO of NFLT.
“The Conservation Fund stepped in when needed and quickly secured the land for preservation because they also realized it was now or never. This land will never be rooftops and will remain natural habitats where wildlife and plant species can thrive.”
The acquisition cost about $3.25 million and is being funded in a joint purchase between the NFLT, the Putnam Land Conservancy and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP[5]). DEP is drawing money from the Florida Forever program[6].
The state has closed on the Putnam County property. It’s now part of the growing Ocala to Osceola (O2O[7]) wildlife corridor, which has been expanding its reach through multiple land acquisitions similar to the latest one in North Florida.
Rayonier officials said they’re thrilled to be part of the collaboration and sale of the property.
“We are proud to have collaborated on this important conservation project,” said Adam Godfrey, Rayonier’s Vice President of Real Estate Operations and Sales. “Rayonier believes in responsible land stewardship and is committed to supporting efforts that protect Florida’s natural resources. The O2O corridor is a critical part of Florida’s ecological landscape, and we are pleased to have contributed to its preservation.”
The property encompasses wetlands, forests, scrub, prairies and bogs along with tree plantations. The habitat supports multiple species of wildlife including scrub jays, gopher tortoise, fowl, snakes and others. It also provides recreational outlets for hiking, biking and nature studies.
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References
- ^ NFLT (nflt.org)
- ^ Putnam Land Conservancy (putnamlandconservancy.org)
- ^ The Conservation Fund (www.conservationfund.org)
- ^ Rayonier Inc. (www.rayonier.com)
- ^ DEP (floridadep.gov)
- ^ Florida Forever program (floridadep.gov)
- ^ O2O (nflt.org)