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TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) recommended
three new projects to the Florida Forever priority list and elevated the status
of 21 other projects. The Council voted to focus the remaining Florida Forever
funding on projects with the most immediate need for natural and cultural
preservation.
“The Council’s vote is a significant step in our progress with the largest
program of its kind in the United States, protecting more than 2.3 million acres
of land in perpetuity,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “The Florida Forever
program and its predecessor programs have been extremely successful in
preserving and protecting our state’s beautiful environment.”
ARC voted to add three new projects to the Florida Forever “A” list, which
allows the State to pay up to 100 percent of appraised value for the properties.
These additions will go before the Governor and Cabinet for consideration in the
coming weeks. The three new projects include:
- Crossbar/ Al Bar Ranch (Pasco County): This 12,440-acre project in Pasco
County protects a number of natural communities, including sandhill, hammock and
scrubby flatwoods. Gopher tortoises and several active burrows were observed in
the area.
- Myakka Ranchlands (Sarasota County): The Myakka Ranchlands Florida
Forever proposal is approximately 18,739 acres that protect a contiguous system
of state, federal, county and non-profit conservation lands in Southwest
Florida. This project would add to the approximately 121,000 acres of land
currently under protection for the Myakka River and Charlotte Harbor Estuary.
- Pillsbury Mound (Manatee County): Pillsbury Mound is an approximately 1-acre
burial mound in Manatee County. This project will preserve a significant
archeological site and provide resource educational opportunities.
ARC also voted to focus remaining Florida Forever funding on 21 priority
projects. The list includes:
- Florida Keys Ecosystem
- Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem
- Wekiva-Ocala Greenway
- Adams
Ranch
- Apalachicola River
- Upper St. Marks River Corridor
- Bombing Range Ridge
- Caber Coastal Connector Tract
- Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed
- Escribano
Point Florida’s First Magnitude Springs
- St. Johns River Blueway
- Wakulla Springs
Protection Zone
- Clear Creek/Whiting Field
- Estero Bay
- Indian River Lagoon Blueway
- Myakka Ranchlands
- Northeast Florida Blueway
- Northeast Florida Timberlands and
Watershed Reserve
- Ochlockonee River Conservation Area
- St. Joe Timberland
Acquisition and Restoration Council members represent the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services’ Division of Forestry, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, Florida Department of State’s Division of Historic Resources,
Florida Department of Community Affairs and four members appointed by the
Governor. The nine-member council, an advisory council to the Governor and
Cabinet, is responsible for the evaluation, selection and ranking of state land
acquisition projects.
The 10-year, $3 billion Florida Forever program established by the Florida
Legislature in 1999 conserves environmentally sensitive land, restores and
protects waterways and drinking water supplies, preserves important cultural and
historical resources, and provides outdoor recreation opportunities such as
hiking, hunting and nature study.
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