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TALLAHASSEE – Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Cabinet today voted to acquire 11,257 acres of the Yellow River Ravines Florida Forever project, located in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties. Situated between Eglin Air Force Base and the Blackwater River State Forest, the acquisition protects natural habitat and creates a larger wildlife corridor by connecting vital conservation areas.
“Today’s purchase of more than 11,000 acres will help close the gaps in Florida’s wildlife conservation corridors and connect environmentally sensitive land,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Preserving the Yellow River Ravines also protects habitat for a variety of rare and threatened species, including the Florida black bear.”
The Yellow River Ravines Florida Forever project protects the natural habitat of the Florida bog frog, wood stork, peregrine falcon, panhandle lily and white-top pitcher plant, as well as other critical Florida wildlife. Managed by the Division of Forestry as part of the Blackwater River State Forest, the purchase will increase opportunities for natural resource-based recreation by providing areas for camping, picnicking, hiking and horseback riding.
“This is a great day for the state of Florida and for all of us who have looked forward to this for years,” said Callie DeHaven, senior field representative for The Nature Conservancy. “The Yellow River Ravines project is the most important connector piece in the puzzle that links the Gulf of Mexico with Alabama’s Conecuh National Forest.”
The long-sought property was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in March 2006 as part of a nine-state agreement with International Paper, the largest private land conservation sale in the history of the Southeast. Yellow River Ravines links outstanding natural areas in Eglin Air Force Base and Blackwater River State Forest, and will form a protected landscape of more than 800,000 acres, from the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Island National Seashore into Conecuh National Forest in Alabama. Linking these conservation areas protects habitat for wide ranging and migratory species such as the Florida black bear and other waterfowl and bird species.
The 10-year, $3 billion Florida Forever program established by Governor Bush and the Florida Legislature in 1999 conserves environmentally sensitive land, restores waterways and preserves important cultural and historical resources. For more information on the Florida Forever program, visit
www.FloridaForever.org.
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