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TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet today approved
two land acquisitions and one conservation easement in north Florida aimed at
expanding public access to natural areas and enhancing resource protection.
These three projects each bring unique benefits to the state including, an
addition to a state park, a conservation easement within a state forest optimum
boundary and an addition to a state forest within an A-list project in the
Florida Forever land-buying program.
“By approving these three projects, Governor Crist and members of the Cabinet
are recognizing the importance of preserving the state’s valuable natural
lands,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Land and Recreation Bob Ballard. “In light
of the current event in the Gulf of Mexico, we are reminded now, more than ever,
of the importance of protecting and preserving our natural resources so that
future generations can enjoy the resources, wildlife and dynamic natural areas
we are blessed with in this great state.”
The three projects approved by the Governor and Cabinet include:
- Purchase
of 552 acres with the Apalachicola River Florida Forever project to be added to
Torreya State Park. This acquisition consists of two parcels – 442 acres in
Gadsden County and 109 acres in Liberty County – and will increase public access
while protecting the water quality of the Apalachicola River.
- Acquisition of
106 acres of land in Putnam County as an addition to Etoniah Creek State Forest,
helping to bridge a gap within the Etoniah/Cross Florida Greenway Florida
Forever A-list project and providing a continuous wildlife corridor.
- Acquiring
a conservation easement over 1,369 acres in Levy County within the Goethe State
Forest optimum boundary, buffering the forest from further development and
fragmentation. The easement will be monitored by the Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services’ Division of Forestry
“The easement at Goethe State Forest not only provides for cooperative
prescribed fire on this tract to prevent fuels buildup, it precludes development
and fragmentation that threatens Florida’s Forest and Ag lands,” said Jim Karels,
Division of Forestry Director. “Acquisition of perpetual conservation easements
allows for more efficient fire management, reduced overall costs of land
management, and affords additional protections to native ecosystems while
keeping the lands in private ownership.”
The Florida Forever program, established by 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.dep.state.fl.us/lands/fl_forever.htm.
DEP is the state’s principal environmental agency, created to protect,
conserve and manage Florida’s environment and natural resources. DEP enforces
federal and state environmental laws, protects Florida’s air and water quality,
cleans up pollution, regulates solid waste management, promotes pollution
prevention and acquires environmentally-sensitive lands for preservation. The
agency also maintains a statewide system of parks, trails and aquatic preserves.
For more information about the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
visit www.dep.state.fl.us.
For more information on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,
Division of Forestry, visit
www.doacs.state.fl.us. To learn more about Florida State Parks, visit
www.floridastateparks.org or follow
www.Twitter.com/FLStateParks.
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2010 State of Florida