Land Acquisition

Thanks to support from individuals like you, ACT has been instrumental in facilitating the conservation of 60,000 acres of Florida land. This includes the direct purchase and protection of more than 27,000 acres. We primarily work in 16 counties, own and manage more than 6,000 acres, and collaborate with private landowners to protect an additional 6,850 acres through conservation easements.

Acquiring land is at the core of ACT’s mission. Land acquisition and conservation easements protect the land, while habitat restoration and management as well as environmental education and outreach equip current and future generations with the tools needed to be good stewards of our shared environment.

ACT acquires land in two main ways:

• Direct Acquisition

• Facilitated Acquisition

Click on the links above to learn more about these different types of land protection.

Direct Acquisition

As an accredited non-profit land trust, ACT can acquire and hold ownership in land. In some instances, ACT will maintain and manage the land as a public preserve or park. The property may also be transferred to another entity or entities, such as a state park, for management as conservation lands.

ACT acquires land in several ways:

• A landowner can donate property to ACT for conservation purposes. By donating the land, the landowner may be eligible for a tax deduction as well as other estate tax benefits. The land may be undeveloped or may have structures on it. If the land is already developed or located in a developed area, ACT may sell the property and the proceeds will be used to support future land conservation efforts. If the land is located nearby existing conservation lands, the property donation will help expand those conservation areas.

• ACT also prepares state and federal grant applications to purchase conservation lands. In partnership with multiple agencies, ACT has prepared and submitted numerous applications to programs such as the Florida Communities Trust Program and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grants Program.

• With public support via donations, bridge loans and foundation grants, ACT will acquire land outright. ACT seeks public support when there is no other dedicated funding source or where we are close to our goal and additional support will help us reach the finish line.

• A bargain sale is another tool that ACT uses to protect land. In a bargain sale, a landowner sells the land for less than the market value and seeks a tax deduction for the difference between the sale price and market value. This option is appealing to landowners who wish to see their land preserved, but need to receive some immediate income from the sale.

Below are a few examples of directly acquired lands by ACT:

If you are interest in supporting ACT by donating land, please contact us. Visit ACT’s Conservation Opportunities page to learn more about projects where ACT is currently seeking public support.

Facilitated Acquisition

ACT also assists with the facilitation of conserving land by helping landowners sell their land outright to a local, state, or federal agency. ACT works with the State’s Florida Forever Program and well as local land conservation initiatives including Alachua County Forever and Volusia Forever to protect land.

Each conservation program has specific eligibility criteria, conservation goals, timelines, and application requirements.  ACT and other land trusts play a crucial role in implementing these programs, including identifying good projects and facilitating great matches between funders and landowners. Following an initial site visit where we learn more about the property, ACT will work with the landowner to help identify which program is the best fit for them based on their long-term goals for the land. ACT is comprised of a dedicated staff of professionals equipped with the skills and backgrounds needed to navigate these often complex programs.

While conservation funding has reached unprecedented levels in recent years, with record appropriations for state conservation and federal programs, much of those funds go directly to the landowner to cover the cost of the acquisition. As a facilitator, ACT relies on grants and donations to cover the cost of staff time. In some instances, landowners may donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their land back to ACT to offset these costs.

Click on the links below to learn more about the different land conservation funding programs.

Banner image: Moon rise at Marjorie A. Hoy Memorial Park by Kim Davidson

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