A.G. Gancarski
The state of Florida is committing nearly $5 million to preserve a 2,400-acre timber and farming parcel at the headwaters of the South Prong of the St. Mary’s River.
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which is administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), is the mechanism for the rural land protection easement.
“We’re thrilled to welcome South Prong to the growing community of generational farmers in Florida dedicated to the productivity and sustainability of our agricultural landscape through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program,” said FDACS Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
“Protecting our rural lands through rural land easements enhances food security, keeps these properties in the local tax system, and ensures property owners comply with state conservation standards for land and natural resources.”
South Prong Plantation, which abuts the St. Mary’s River, combines a working farm and an environmental preserve in its pine forest and cypress wetlands, which also allows for harvesting of timber on roughly 1,355 acres.
Simpson has prioritized the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, advocating for legislation guaranteeing $100 million for this purpose on a recurring basis for projects like this, where the state secures rights in order to protect the parcel from potentially ecologically perilous development.
One comment
MH/Duuuval
July 12, 2024 at 8:03 pm
Florida gave railroad barons and others vast swathes of the land for a pittance in the late 19th century. Now, we can buy back surviving parcels of what should be our common inheritance..
A similar phenomenon occurred with the nation’s railroads.