Partnership and Philanthropy Save 278 Acres on the Santa Fe River

May 26, 2021

Gainesville, Florida –Together, two land trusts, Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) and Conservation Florida, will permanently conserve 278 acres on the Santa Fe River. Additionally, 236 of those acres will become Alachua County’s newest preserve owned and operated by Alachua County. The land trusts will jointly hold a conservation easement over the preserve and surrounding acreage.

This pristine habitat in the Upper Santa Fe River basin is forever protected thanks to a generous donation by landowners Dale and Helen Lundgren.

“We wish to show our appreciation for the opportunity this Country has provided us by contributing this beautiful piece of property along the Santa Fe River, in Alachua and Bradford Counties,” said Dale Lundgren, speaking on behalf of himself and his wife, Helen. The couple has owned the property for over 40 years.

 The Santa Fe River begins its 75-mile westerly journey at Lake Santa Fe northeast of Gainesville. It meanders toward the Suwannee River, where it empties, flowing underground in O’Leno State Park through an intricate cave system and emerging at River Rise Preserve State Park.

Along the way, it passes by the Lundgrens’ property – a special slice of Florida that spans a mile of the Santa Fe River on both the north and south banks.

The Lundgrens’ dream of protecting their cherished family land is now a reality after years of negotiations with Alachua County, ACT, and Conservation Florida. The couple carefully explored their options and found a unique solution to meet their conservation goals for the property.

They donated 236 acres to Alachua County to own and manage as a public preserve. Additionally, the Lundgren’s donated a conservation easement on the property that will be jointly held by ACT and Conservation Florida. The conservation easement provides an additional level of protection by requiring annual monitoring to ensure the land is maintained with conservation in mind as the Lundgrens desire.

“Protection of lands along the Santa Fe River has been the top priority of the Alachua County’s acquisition program since its inception. These donations are a significant step forward in achieving the County’s goals, noted Charlie Houder, Land Conservation and Management Director of Environmental Protection for Alachua County. “In addition to preserving high quality habitat, the land will ultimately provide additional opportunities for public recreation and environmental education.”

The two land trusts, ACT and Conservation Florida, will share these responsibilities and serve as backups for each other. The Lundgrens chose this option understanding the long-lasting responsibility of protecting land.

Together, the three partners will work closely with one another to protect the remarkable habitat on the property and make sure that generations to come are able to visit and enjoy this special preserve.

“Dale and Helen Lundgren’s gift is a critical part of conservation efforts to protect the most critical east-west wildlife corridor in North Central Florida,” said Tom Kay, Executive Director of ACT.  “Keeping this corridor intact is not only important for wildlife but also for the water quality and quantity of the Santa Fe River, its springs, and the people in region who depend on it for their drinking water, recreation and livelihood.”    

According to Florida State Parks, “the Santa Fe River Sink / River Rise system in O’Leno is the largest swallet-to-resurgence system in Florida.” This rare system “creates a natural bridge that humans have been using to cross the river for over 14,000 years, including native peoples, early Europeans and Florida pioneers.”

“There’s power in partnerships,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO. “We are happy to work with our fellow land trust and the County to make the Lundgren’s dream come true.”

Butch Parks, Conservation Florida’s previous director of conservation who worked on this conservation project prior to his retirement shared, “I admire Dr. and Mrs. Lundgren’s love for the land, their passion to protect it, and desire to share it with the public. They worked for many years with numerous partners to make sure that it was protected forever.”

The protection of the Lundgren’s property is the latest success in a larger effort, spearheaded by ACT, that focuses on the Suwannee and Santa Fe watersheds, which contain five state designated Springs Priority Focus Areas. ACT and its partners are working with private property owners in the region to protect working farms, timberlands, and natural areas through private land protection efforts.

Conservation Florida, Alachua County, and ACT have additional land holdings and conservation easements along the Santa Fe River that contribute to the overall goals of the regional initiative.

In addition to protecting scenic views and preventing habitat fragmentation along the Santa Fe River, the preserve offers many benefits to the public including protecting water quality, storing floodwaters, and providing wildlife habitat. It will be managed as a preserve by the Office of Land Conservation and Management under the Alachua County Forever program.

The property is not currently open to the public. Development of public access and recreational amenities is anticipated once the management planning process is complete.

“After our demise,” said Dr. Lundgren in a written statement, “we hope it to become Lundgren Nature Park, for the enjoyment of people, both young and old, in this area. Alachua County has been good to us, and we hope to thank them with this gift.”

Photos by Melissa Hill.