The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced that the Florida Forever Program has reached its 200th conservation easement, marking a total of 364,117 acres protected across the state. This milestone coincides with the program’s 25th anniversary.
Launched in 2000, the Florida Forever Program is dedicated to conserving native landscapes, watersheds, agricultural lands, and wildlife habitats throughout Florida. Conservation easements are agreements that allow landowners to maintain ownership while placing permanent limits on development. These arrangements help preserve natural and cultural resources for future generations and support ongoing agricultural operations by requiring adherence to best management practices.
“Conservation easements are one of the most important tools we have to protect Florida’s lands and waters,” said DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “From working farms and ranches to wildlife habitats and scenic landscapes, Florida Forever safeguards the resources that make our state special.”
Some notable conservation easements under the program include:
– The Fisheating Creek Ecosystem in Glades and Highlands counties covers more than 66,000 acres through four easements acquired from 2000 to 2025. This area protects Fisheating Creek—the only undammed tributary of Lake Okeechobee—and provides habitat for endangered species such as the Florida panther, gopher tortoise, and red-cockaded woodpecker.
– Nokuse Plantation in Walton County encompasses 17,880 acres acquired in 2004. As part of both the Florida Wildlife Corridor and Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape, this site supports water quality in the Choctawhatchee River watershed and serves as habitat for imperiled species like Cooley’s meadowrue. The property owner uses prescribed fire programs for ecosystem restoration.
– Avalon Plantation in Jefferson County includes 11,937 acres acquired in 2023 within several key conservation regions. It protects upland habitats essential for species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker.
– Deer Creek Ranch in DeSoto County consists of 5,698 acres acquired in 2024 as a working cattle ranch that helps safeguard the Peace River watershed and offers habitat for species including the Florida scrub-jay.
– Letchworth Mounds in Jefferson County features 1,270 acres acquired in 2005 next to an archaeological state park known for significant prehistoric ceremonial mounds.
Through these efforts and continued collaboration with private landowners, DEP states that long-term protection of vital landscapes will be maintained.
More information about these conservation easements can be found at https://floridaforever.org/.
