Watermelon Pond Conservation Area Expanded with 290-Acre Addition
Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) recently facilitated the purchase to expand Goethe State Forest in Levy County
May 7, 2024
Gainesville, Florida – Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) has facilitated the acquisition of the 290-acre “Goethe Addition” property by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The property, located in Levy County, will be managed by Goethe State Forest. The Goethe Addition was acquired through the Florida Forever program, Florida’s premier conservation and recreation lands acquisition program.
The addition is located in the heart of the Watermelon Pond conservation area, which spans southwest Alachua County and northeast Levy County and contains one of the last remaining native longleaf pine landscapes in North Florida. Watermelon Pond itself is a sprawling complex of ponds, sloughs, and prairies. It is a haven for birds, including wood storks, bald eagles, and the northernmost population of Florida burrowing owls. The Watermelon Pond conservation area includes public lands managed in partnership by Alachua County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida Forest Service. These lands are popular destinations for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
“Land acquisitions like this one are successful because of Florida’s cooperative partnerships with organizations like Alachua Conservation Trust. Our state is leading the nation’s conservation efforts.”
The Goethe Addition will be managed for the conservation and protection of natural and historical resources and resource-based public outdoor recreation.
“As a former Senior Forest Ranger at Goethe State Forest in the mid-1990s and Manager for the Waccasassa Forestry Center, this acquisition hits close to home personally. Our mission is to preserve these lands for future generations, and this property is another piece of forestland we can help protect from future development.”
The acquisition is the result of cooperative efforts between ACT, DEP and the Florida Forest Service. As an accredited nonprofit land trust dedicated to conservation, ACT played a critical role by representing the landowners and navigating the Florida Forever transaction process.
“We are thrilled that this property will be permanently protected as part of Goethe State Forest. We are grateful to our partners, particularly Florida DEP and the Florida Forest Service for their persistence in making this project happen. We also thank the landowners for recognizing the conservation significance of their land and their perseverance in seeing this process through to completion.”
Longleaf pines on the 290-Acre Goethe Addition property.
“I am pleased that the land will be protected. As a long-term Florida resident, I appreciate the conservation value of the property and am glad that it will be managed as part of the State Forest.”
The Goethe Addition and the surrounding public lands are part of the nearly 13,000-acre Watermelon Pond Florida Forever project area in Alachua and Levy counties. More information about the Florida Forever program and priority areas can be found here.
For additional information, please contact ACT at info@AlachuaConservationTrust.org or (352) 373-1078.
