TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the permanent protection of more than 1,675 acres of working Florida agricultural land through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agriculture operations to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida.
“When we protect working agricultural land, we’re protecting Florida’s future. Every easement we complete keeps these lands in production, strengthens our rural communities, and protects them from future development,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “Through historic investments in the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, we’re ensuring Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and timber producers can continue doing what they do best while preserving the landscapes and natural resources that define our state.”
Since its inception, the department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has permanently preserved more than 241,000 acres of working agricultural land, with more than 176,000 acres preserved during Commissioner Simpson’s administration.
The properties are enrolled in FDACS Best Management Practices and are located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which was established in state law in 2021 through the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act as a priority of then-Senate President Wilton Simpson.
Osceola Pines, Levy County, Florida
Osceola Pines
Osceola Pines, an approximately 545-acre timber operation in Levy County, has been permanently preserved from development through a rural lands protection easement, totaling $1,030,000, with $515,000 being provided through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Just over half of the site is in well-managed pine plantation of variable stand age. Roughly 250 acres of the site are composed of a mature cypress and wetland hardwood basin swamp which flows through the property’s entire length from north to south. Surrounding lands are a similar mosaic of plantations and wetlands.
Patricia Flanders, Putnam County, Florida
Patricia Flanders
Patricia Flanders, an approximately 1,131-acre timber property in Putnam County, has been permanently preserved from development through a rural lands protection easement, totaling $1,301,000. Situated just north of Ocklawaha Lake, the project consists of two tracts entirely within the Etoniah/Cross Florida Greenway Florida Forever project. The eastern tract includes planted timber and sandhill with interspersed depressional wetlands grading into shrubby and forested wetlands. The western tract is a mix of sandhill, planted timber, and riparian wetlands associated with Little Orange Creek and Cabbage Creek, which bisects the northern section of the tract.
About the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
Established in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program recognizes that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida's economic future. Agricultural lands are being increasingly threatened by urban development. To counter this trend, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program partners with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while protecting natural resources.
Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agricultural operations to continue contributing to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the state’s prosperity. Additionally, by purchasing development rights through a rural lands protection easement, the program does not impose an additional burden on the taxpayer by having to maintain state-owned lands.
Since 2022, Commissioner Simpson has helped to secure more than $1.1 billion in state funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, including $425 million in the 2026/2027 state budget.
Commissioner Simpson has been involved in Florida’s land conservation policy issues long before becoming Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson championed the successful passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which directed the state of Florida to better protect and connect Florida’s natural areas and wildlife habitats and to preserve working agricultural lands from future development.
A story map of all completed Rural and Family Lands Protection Program projects can be viewed here: FDACS.gov/RFLPPMap.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
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