The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced the largest conservation easement in the history of the Florida Forever program, securing permanent protection for 61,525 acres of working forestland within the Ocala-to-Osceola Wildlife Corridor. This area is located in Baker and Union counties.
This move preserves a large landscape that connects Camp Blanding Military Reservation, the Raiford Wildlife Management Area, and Osceola National Forest. The conservation easement closes the last significant gap in a nearly 100-mile corridor, forming part of a 1.6-million-acre network of public and private conservation lands between Ocala and Osceola national forests.
“Florida Forever was created to protect landscapes like this one,” said DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “Conserving this single-owner tract in perpetuity strengthens landscape-scale connectivity while allowing the land to remain in active forest management that supports the local economy.”
The protected property contains various ecosystems such as forested wetlands, floodplain forests, basin swamps, and headwaters. These features help maintain water quality, provide flood protection, and support aquifer recharge across three major river basins. The area also provides permanent habitat connectivity for species such as bald eagles, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and eastern indigo snakes.
The easement was acquired from Weyerhaeuser, a major private timberland owner. The land will continue to be managed as working forestland. Approval for this acquisition came from Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet at an earlier meeting.
“This is a simply tremendous outcome for everyone involved,” said Alex Littlejohn, Director of Conservation for Weyerhaeuser. “Environmental stewardship is fundamental to our operations, and this conservation easement was a unique opportunity to support wildlife habitat and connectivity at a huge scale while also continuing to support the local forest economy. This is one of the largest conservation projects we have ever delivered, and we want to thank all our partners — including state leadership and DEP — for helping secure an agreement that will benefit Floridians for many years to come.”
Florida continues to be recognized nationally for its efforts in land protection through programs like Florida Forever. The program aims to conserve lands that offer environmental benefits such as water quality safeguards, resilience against storms, wildlife habitat protections, national security considerations, and recreational opportunities.
Governor DeSantis has recommended $115 million for Florida Forever as part of his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026–27.
The DEP acts as Florida’s primary agency for environmental management by protecting air, water, and land resources while overseeing more than 175 state parks and historic sites across all regions of Florida through statewide programs (official website). It manages regulations related to waste management and water quality permitting while supporting restoration initiatives aimed at building resilient communities (official website).
More information about the Florida Forever Program can be found at FloridaForever.org.
