By 约炮视频 Staff
Published January 17, 2023
This article is from 约炮视频 Florida
. 约炮视频 has 31 conservation action centers and more than 500 community and campus chapters across the U.S. serving local communities. Find your local center or chapter here.
Today 约炮视频 is celebrating the approval by the Governor and Cabinet of several conservation land acquisitions and easements under the Florida Forever Program:
- 135 acres in the Rainbow River Corridor Florida Forever Project (Citrus Co.), protecting the world-class Rainbow Springs and the crystal-clear river they give rise to.
- 287 acres in the Osceola Pine Savannahs Florida Forever Project (Osceola Co.), creating a corridor between Bull Creek, Three Lakes and Triple N Ranch Wildlife Management Areas.
- 2, 259 acres in the Triple Diamond Florida Forever Project (Okeechobee Co.), protecting the headwaters of the Everglades.
- 8.68 acres in the Charlotte Harbor Estuary Florida Forever Project (Charlotte Co.), expanding recreational access for Don Pedro Island State Park.
- 565 acres in the Tiger Island-Little Tiger Island Florida Forever Project (Nassau Co.), conserving some of Northeast Florida鈥檚 best remaining coastal habitat.
Even better: These acquisitions mark the completion of TWO Florida Forever Projects: Tiger Island and Triple Diamond.
Florida Forever is the State of Florida鈥檚 iconic land conservation program that identifies resources of state significance for protection based on scientific criteria and with a transparent process accountable to taxpayers, local communities and landowners alike. Prioritizing properties based on values important to Florida鈥檚 economy and ecology鈥攍ike protecting water resources, habitat connectivity, recreational opportunity, resilience and more鈥攖he Department of Environmental Protection delineates large landscape-scale project areas to protect these assets and works over many years to acquire the parcels within each project boundary, piece by piece from willing sellers.
鈥淜udos to DEP鈥檚 Division of State Lands team for these milestones, to the landowners who worked with the state to forever protect these critical pieces of our natural heritage, and to the Governor and Cabinet for their vision for Florida鈥檚 future,鈥 said Julie Wraithmell, 约炮视频 Florida Executive Director. 鈥淥ur environment is key to the prosperity and quality of life of all Floridians,鈥 she concluded.
Florida Forever鈥檚 process is protecting Florida鈥檚 most special places at fair prices and with the transparency and accountability Floridians deserve. These acquisitions are an investment in our future.