North Florida family protects 816 acres while keeping land available for farming

In the rolling pine forests and pasturelands of Putnam County, a North Florida family has made a decision that will change the landscape for generations to come. They have placed a permanent conservation easement on 816.46 acres of their working farm, locking in protection for a sprawling tract of forests, wetlands and agricultural fields. Valued at $2.665 million, the easement ensures that the land will never be subdivided or developed, even as farming and ranching activities continue under sustainable management. The property lies within a much larger 1.6 million-acre wildlife corridor that links some of the most important natural areas in the Southeast. As reported by Action News Jax, the deal is a striking example of how private landowners can help safeguard habitat and rural character while keeping their land in production.A landscape of forests, fields and waterThe 816 acres sit in the heart of North Florida’s working lands country, a region where cattle graze beneath longleaf pines, cypress domes rise from flatwoods, and blackwater creeks wind toward the St. Johns River. The property includes a mix of habitats, from upland pine forests and hardwood hammocks to seasonal wetla...