TALLAHASSEE, FL – On Dec. 17, the Florida Governor and Cabinet approved funding for the permanent conservation of 21,553.27 acres across four properties within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The newly approved conservation lands are located across Escambia, Collier, Hendry, Putnam, and Okeechobee counties, advancing the state’s commitment to connecting and safeguarding Florida’s natural landscapes for future generations.   

“Thanks to the leadership of landowners, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, the Florida Forever Program, and our conservation partners, our state has taken a major step forward this year by approving the permanent protection of 162,706.82 acres within and adjacent to the Corridor. We are grateful to Governor DeSantis and the Cabinet for their commitment to keeping this incredible pace. Conservation easements have been a powerful tool in making this progress possible. Not only do they protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor, but they also allow working lands to remain productive and support our nation’s food and fiber security,” said Mallory Dimmitt, CEO of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. 

Siboney Ranch and Tilton Family Farms are to be protected through a conservation easement funded through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest Project – Evergreen TimberCo is to be protected through a conservation easement funded through Florida Forever at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  10,996 acres were approved for delegated authority to the Department of Environmental Protection within the Caloosahatchee/Big Cypress Corridor Project. 

The Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation celebrates the collaboration and leadership of the landowners, FDACS, FDEP, U.S. Air Force REPI program, Family Lands Remembered, and additional partners who played essential roles in making these opportunities possible. 

The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a critical ecological network of 18 million acres that connects existing conservation lands to private working lands, providing a pathway for wildlife to roam and thrive. Nearly 10 million acres are already under permanent protection and by expanding the protected areas within the Corridor, the state is taking a proactive approach to ensuring the long-term sustainability of its natural resources.

The four properties approved for conservation within the Florida Wildlife Corridor include:   

• A conservation easement in Okeechobee County of 1,059.75 acres, a project of FDACS Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Siboney Ranch is a cow/calf operation located within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape Program (APAFR). Part of the acquisition cost will be provided through the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program Most of the western two-thirds of this rectangular site are converted to improved pasture, while the eastern third remains naturally forested. The property is located northeast of Okeechobee, Florida and about 2.5 miles southeast of Fort Drum, Florida. The project site is enrolled in the FDACS Best Management Practices (BMP) program. It is entirely located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. 
• Delegated authority of 10,996 acres to the Department of Environmental Protection within the Caloosahatchee / Big Cypress Corridor Project. The property consists of four tracts that help build connectivity between the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Big Cypress National Preserve to Dinner Island Wildlife Management Area. The Catherine Island property to the south encompasses 5,024 acres, while the three northern parcels comprising the Okaloacoochee Slough property total 5,972 acres. Both properties lie partially within the Big Cypress Area of Critical State Concern. Protection of these critical habitats and agricultural lands provides foraging areas and dispersal routes for a wide range of imperiled species; most notably the Florida panther, and a wide range of native birds including roseate spoonbills, Florida sandhill cranes, wood storks, limpkins, snail kites, and crested caracara.  
• A conservation easement in Escambia County of 7,437 acres within the Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest Florida Forever Project. Protecting the subject property will protect valuable water resources by restricting development on the property. Such protection ensures the property continues to play a vital role in cleaning and filtering surface waters, recharging the surficial aquifer, and serves as a critical buffer to the Escambia River and its floodplain forests that function as an essential wildlife corridor for numerous imperiled species, including the swallow-tailed kite, gopher tortoise, reticulated flatwoods salamander, and red-cockaded woodpecker. The project lies within a wildlife corridor of the Florida Ecological Greenways Network, as well as the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape. 
• A Conservation easement in Putnam County of 2,060.52 acres, a project of FDACS Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Tilton Family Farm is a cow/calf operation with some timber stands and a small row crop area of pumpkins and cold crops. Tilton Family Farm harvests and sells honey and fresh produce from their farm to the public and provides fresh produce to food desert areas. The Tilton Family Farm is located on the east side of State Road 100, north of Crescent Lake and east of Dunns Creek Conservation Area and Dunns Creek State Park. The project site is enrolled in the FDACS Best Management Practices (BMP) program. It is entirely located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.