DEP Adds 21,000 Acres of Land to Public Ownership

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection finished a more than $12.5 million land acquisition deal in the Florida Panhandle, the agency announced Thursday.

The 20,800-acre conservation easement will also be a buffer zone for Eglin Air Force Base. It is the second largest conservation easement, behind Fisheating Creek, in Florida.

The land was purchased with $10.2 million from the Florida Forever trust fund, $1.75 million from the U.S. Department of Defense and $550,000 from Eglin Air Force Base. The seller was MC Davis.

"This large tract of conservation land is a testament to the partnership between Florida, the Department of Defense, the Trust for Public Land and landowner MC Davis, who has discounted this conservation land as a service to Floridians," said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. "This purchase helps to fulfill the department's continued emphasis on preserving conservation land that protects springs, water resources and buffers military areas."

Vinyard, speaking in South Florida last week, warned of putting too much land in public ownership, due to the costs of maintaining the property and securing it.

Col. Shawn Moore, 96th Civil Engineer Group commander, continued, "Collectively, via the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) initiative, this partnership recognized the importance of protecting Eglin and its missions and the value of protecting the natural resources within the state of Florida."

According to DEP, the land deal finishes the last piece of theSeven Runs Creek project, which is part of the Florida Forever priority list due to its groundwater recharge abilities and protection of species including the Florida black bear and gopher tortoise.