Florida Conservation Group applauds Cabinet for OK’ing easements in Northern Everglades, Kissimmee Valley

The Florida Cabinet is signing off on another set of conservation easements to protect over 10,000 acres in the Northern Everglades and Kissimmee Valley.

The moves come as part of a larger set of easements the state approved on Tuesday morning. The Florida Conservation Group (FCG), which has worked to secure several other major easements in the state in recent years, pushed for three of those new easements through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP).

The easements backed by FCG will protect land in the Overstreet Ranch in Osceola County, the Williamson Cattle Company just north of Lake Okeechobee and the One Nine Cattle Company in Okeechobee County.

The RFLPP is operated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), which Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson oversees.

“The Cabinet has been an extremely supportive partner of these conservation easements,” said FCG Executive Director Julie Morris. “Commissioner Simpson, in particular, has been a steadfast champion of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP). His leadership has been crucial in securing the funding the program has needed for so long.”

Jim Strickland, Vice Chair of the FCG Board of Directors, echoed praise for Simpson’s work.

“A lot of credit goes to former Sen. Simpson, who played a critical role in securing substantial funding for the RFLPP during his year as Senate President. Now, as Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, he continues to champion the program,” Strickland said.

“His background as a farmer gives him a deep understanding of farm security and the complexities of international trade that flow through Florida’s ports, which he is responsible for safeguarding. This includes ensuring food security at all ports — seaports, airports and others. He also recognizes the fundamental importance of being able to produce our own food on Florida’s land, which is a key component of the state’s long-term food security and economic resilience.”

Morris spoke to Florida Politics about the work her organization has been doing to protect these and other lands throughout the state.

Morris praised the newest slate of easements as crucial in protecting Florida’s agriculture industry, a key part of providing food in Florida and throughout the U.S.

“These easements allow land to remain in private ownership while ensuring that agricultural operations and natural resources are maintained in perpetuity. This is crucial, as it means the land will continue to be productive, supporting both farming and conservation goals indefinitely,” Morris said.

She also described the environmental benefits, ranging from a cleaner outdoors to ensuring the survival of key Florida species.

“By protecting these lands, we secure clean air, clean water and valuable green spaces that contribute to the health and well-being of our communities and our society as a whole,” Morris said.

“In addition, conservation easements help protect vital wildlife populations. Species such as the Florida panther, the black bear, and the Florida grasshopper sparrow — which is one of the most endangered birds in the continental U.S. that can only be found on a few public lands and ranches in the northern Everglades region — rely on these conserved lands for habitat. These efforts also safeguard critical water resources that sustain our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal areas.”

According to the FCG, the three easements it backed during Tuesday’s meeting are important for protecting various habitats, including those of the northern crested caracara, Florida burrowing owl, Florida panther, and Florida scrub jay.

And the proximity of some of this land to Lake Okeechobee, which serves as a primary hub to supply water in the south of the state, also makes these moves critical, Morris explained.

“It’s not feasible to purchase outright all of the land that we need to protect for green space to facilitate a healthy economy, wildlife and clean water. Science helps us identify the most crucial areas for food security, wildlife corridor and clean water. We need a balance of public and private conservation lands to protect these areas in perpetuity at a fraction of the cost of outright land acquisition, ensuring both conservation and agricultural productivity,” Morris said.

“With more than 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, making it one of the most rapidly growing states in the nation, development pressures are mounting. The RFLPP and similar programs are critical to ensuring that the state’s natural and agricultural resources are preserved permanently. Protecting rural watersheds is vital to ensuring clean drinking water for millions of Floridians and the maintenance of clean water in our rivers, lakes, estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico. If we value clean air, water, wildlife and locally grown food, these conservation programs are essential to achieving those goals.”

That work will continue so long as groups like FCG have willing partners at the state level.

“Our big push for this coming year is the Peace River Valley and the rural areas in Polk, Hardee and DeSoto Counties that have been overlooked for so long,” Morris said, regarding some of the major work left to do for the organization.

“The Peace River supplies the drinking water to millions of Floridians downstream in southwest Florida. It is also the major freshwater supplier to Charlotte Harbor, which is an estuary of national significance, an economic engine of Southwest Florida and one of the most important recreational fisheries in our state. These characteristics make protecting the rural watershed and the Peace River Valley critical to water quality in Charlotte Harbor. Hardee County is ranked 64 out of 67 counties in terms of the amount of conservation land, and DeSoto County is not far behind.”

Morris said the efforts will rely on continued funding, such as a pot of money secured last month from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which the FDACS matched.