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TALLAHASSEE – Continuing their commitment to preserving Florida’s coastal estuarine systems, Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Cabinet today voted to acquire 2,844 acres in the St. Joe Timberland Florida Forever project. A partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the purchase from St. Joe Timberland Company will protect and preserve two important and productive estuarine systems along Florida’s panhandle.
“Today’s vote will help protect the water quality of both St. Vincent Sound and St. Joseph Bay, whose productive oyster and scallop beds contribute to Florida’s booming seafood industry every year,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Through this project, we are ensuring Florida’s fragile estuarine ecosystems continue to support the unique plants and animals of the Florida panhandle region.”
Part of the Northwest Florida Greenway, the purchase of the Lake Wimico Preserve parcels will preserve nearly two miles of waterfront property along the south shore of the lake and protect both St. Joseph Bay and St. Vincent Sound. Protecting the land and waters of this project will preserve the water quality, water quantity and seasonal freshwater flows that support the diverse communities of these two estuaries. In addition, protection of Lake Wimico and the remainder of the area will provide a buffer to the coastal waters of Apalachicola Bay as well as the Jackson River.
The St. Joe Timberland Florida Forever project spans more than 170,000 acres throughout the Florida panhandle, with more than 78,000 acres already in state ownership. Stretching from Walton and Bay Counties near Camp Helen State Park across the region to Jefferson and Taylor Counties near the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area, the project preserves large undeveloped tracts of land for native wildlife and provides a variety of public recreational opportunities throughout north Florida.
To strengthen national security and protect natural resources, the State of Florida is preserving land around military installations. Florida has invested more than $800 million to conserve wildlife habitat and buffer military facilities, acquiring more than one-half million acres around military bases. An additional 630,000 acres are slated for purchase through the Florida Forever program.
The 10-year, $3 billion Florida Forever program established by Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature conserves environmentally sensitive land, restores waterways and preserves important cultural and historical resources. For more information, visit
www.FloridaForever.org.
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