The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced that the Florida Forever Program has reached its 200th conservation easement, now protecting more than 364,000 acres across the state. This milestone coincides with the program’s 25th anniversary.
Launched in 2000, the Florida Forever Program aims to conserve native landscapes, watersheds, agricultural and working lands, as well as wildlife habitats. Conservation easements allow private landowners to keep their property while permanently restricting development. These agreements are designed to protect natural, scenic, cultural and open spaces for future generations and support sustainable land use today. The DEP requires agricultural producers on these lands to follow best management practices that help maintain water quality and environmental health while keeping farms and ranches productive.
“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.”
Several notable conservation easements secured by the program include:
– Fisheating Creek Ecosystem: Located in Glades and Highlands counties, this area covers over 66,000 acres acquired from 2000–2025 through four separate easements. It protects Fisheating Creek—the only undammed tributary of Lake Okeechobee—and provides habitat for species such as the federally endangered Florida panther, gopher tortoise and red-cockaded woodpecker.
– Nokuse Plantation: In Walton County, this 17,880-acre property was acquired in 2004. It is part of both the Florida Wildlife Corridor and Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape. The easement helps preserve water quality in the Choctawhatchee River watershed and supports imperiled species including the gopher tortoise and federally endangered Cooley’s meadowrue.
– Avalon Plantation: Acquired in 2023 in Jefferson County with an area of nearly 12,000 acres, this site lies within several key ecological regions including the Red Hills Region. It protects upland habitats critical for species like the red-cockaded woodpecker.
– Deer Creek Ranch: This DeSoto County cattle ranch covers almost 5,700 acres acquired in 2024. The easement preserves part of the Peace River watershed and offers habitat for species such as the Florida scrub-jay.
– Letchworth Mounds: Covering over 1,200 acres in Jefferson County since its acquisition in 2005, this area is adjacent to a significant archaeological site—Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaeological State Park—and helps protect prehistoric ceremonial earthwork mound complexes.
Through these partnerships with private landowners under conservation easements, DEP continues efforts to ensure long-term protection of natural resources across Florida.
For further details about conservation easements managed by Florida Forever visit https://floridaforever.org/.
