Drew Dixon
About 2,600 acres of farmland in Northeast Florida is being set aside and protected from development.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced that the state is using the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program to secure the property for preservation. The tract of land being preserved is so vast that it runs through three counties, including Bradford, Clay and Putnam.
The property currently is a pine plantation and involves three parcels. The project is being labeled the Terwillegar Properties Project. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Cabinet members acting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund approved the protective measure.
“Protecting working agricultural lands like the Tumlin Terwillegar Properties ensures that Florida remains a national leader in food and timber production while preserving the values that make our state unique. These lands are the backbone of our rural economy and critical to the health of the Florida Wildlife Corridor,” Simpson said.
“I’m grateful to the Governor and my fellow Cabinet members for approving a key portion of this project today, reinforcing our shared commitment to conservation and agriculture. Through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, we’re keeping land in the hands of farmers and ranchers — not developers — and securing a legacy of responsible land stewardship for future generations.”
The preservation action involves different elements. One element of the property is just east of Santa Fe Lake and there are two smaller land parcels.
“The project is bordered by lakeside residential communities as well as various mixed pasture, forest (and) residential properties, much of which is projected to be developed by 2040 in University of Florida’s development projections,” Simpson’s news release said.
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program was established in 2001 with the mission of preserving agricultural land in the state to ensure that it remains primarily as farming property while blocking large development projects on those properties.
