TALLAHASSEE — More than 13,000 acres of agricultural land in Osceola and Highlands County will never be developed under two conservation easements made final on Monday by the Florida Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson called the completion of the more than $36 million transactions a “milestone.” They are part of the 23-year-old Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which has now been used to set aside more than 100,000 acres.
“As Florida’s agricultural lands face increasing threats from urban development, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program is paramount in ensuring the long-term future of our state’s agricultural community and our natural resources,” Simpson said in a prepared statement.
Conservation easements allow landowners to continue using the property for agricultural uses while agreeing not to develop the land.
The two deals, approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet in September, involved 8,881 acres owned by Adams Ranch along the south shore of Lake Marian in Osceola County and 4,490 acres of the Buck Island Ranch in southeast Highlands County.
The Adams Ranch easement cost $26.65 million, while the Buck Island Ranch easement cost $10.1 million.
The fiscal year 2024-2025 budget (HB 5001), approved this month by the Legislature, included $100 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection program. DeSantis, who has line-item veto power, still needs to act on the budget.
