ACT Facilitates Sale of Over 1600 acres to the State of Florida Through Florida Forever Program
March 4, 2025
Gainesville, Florida – Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) has facilitated the permanent protection of over 1,600 acres in Columbia County located within the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor (O2O). This significant transaction will protect vital wetlands, enhance wildlife habitat, and contribute to the preservation of key conservation corridors in the state. The acquisition was facilitated in collaboration with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and other partners, through the state’s premier land acquisition program, Florida Forever.
The property, comprised of 1,620 acres owned by the Lord family, lies on the east side of the Suwannee River about 30 miles north of Lake City. The land will serve to further link conservation lands along the river and the Pinhook Swamp conservation area, which borders the Osceola National Forest. Conservation of this property contributes to protecting the O2O Corridor, a critical linkage of the larger Florida Wildlife Corridor - a network of over 18 million acres designated as high conservation priority by the Florida legislature. The O2O Corridor is one of the State’s priority conservation areas with over $400 million appropriated for land protection in the State’s 2023 budget.
"This project is a testament to the vital role that partnerships play in supporting the connection of wildlife corridors and preserving what’s left of wild Florida," said Tom Kay, ACT Executive Director. "It is also one of the largest recent state acquisitions in the O2O.”
The Lord property consists almost entirely of forested wetlands connecting the Sandlin Bay wetland system with the Upper Suwannee River, intermixed with smaller areas of pine plantation and natural pine forest. The protection of this wetland system helps maintain water flows to the Suwannee River and the Okefenokee Swamp.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will manage the property as a new Wildlife Management Area. The Lord property is part of the 183,000-acre Pinhook Swamp Florida Forever project area in north Florida linking the Osceola National Forest, Okefenokee Swamp, and the Suwannee River. The large undeveloped tract provides crucial habitat for Florida black bear, wild turkey, and white-tail deer and will eventually be open to the public for wildlife-based recreation.
For additional information about this project or about Alachua Conservation Trust, please contact ACT at info@AlachuaConservationTrust.org or (352) 373-1078.
