Florida landowners interested in aligning their land uses with conservation values and practices have an opportunity to apply for Entity Held Conservation Easementsopportunities in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida (NRCS) and Tall Timbers Research, Inc. through April 5, 2024. Landowners who applied for the recent Florida Department of Consumer Services Rural and Family Lands Protection Program cycle are encouraged to apply for potential match opportunities. Those who are within and/or touching the boundary are eligible.
Applications for the fiscal year 2024 through the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) will be accepted and evaluated by NRCS and Tall Timbers Research, Inc. FDACS will be involved in potential match negotiations. Tall Timbers Research, Inc. and NRCS accept conservation easement applications year-round; however, applications received after April 5th, will be considered for the following sign-up period, as funding allows.
The RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
If you are a landowner interested in conserving your land in partnership with Tall Timbers Research, Inc. and NRCS, please contact:
- Leslie Elmore, Project Coordinator, at lelmore@talltimbers.org or 850-868-0270.
- Shane Wellendorf, at swell@talltimbers.org or 850-508-5440.
- Michael Ruiz, NRCS RCPP-Easements, at michael.ruiz@usda.gov or 352 338-9566.
Plus, applications are being accepted for opportunities in partnership with the USDA, NRCS and the Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) through April 5, 2024.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will be involved in potential match negotiations. NRCS and ACT will be responsible for screening for land eligibility, coordinating appropriately to determine the proper entity holder, negotiating conservation easement terms, and/or developing a land management plan.
The ACT leads two RCPP projects in North Florida: 1) Surface to Springs and 2) Forest to Gulf. These projects target conservation funding and resources to protection of wildlife habitat, surface and ground water, and working grasslands and forests. Landowners in these project areas are eligible for this conservation easement funding opportunity. Those who are within and/or touching the projects’ boundaries are eligible. Lands outside of these areas will not be eligible. The counties included (all or in part) are: Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hernando, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee, and Union.
Again, landowners who applied for the recent FDACS Rural and Family Lands Protection Program cycle are encouraged to apply for potential match opportunities.
If you are a landowner interested in conserving your land in partnership with ACT and NRCS, please contact:
- Susan Carr, Forest to Gulf Project Coordinator, at susan@alachuaconservationtrust.org or phone (352) 373-1078
- Erica Hernandez, Surface to Springs Project Coordinator, at erica@alachuaconservationtrust.org or (352) 373-1078
- Michael Ruiz, NRCS RCPP-Easements, at michael.ruiz@usda.gov or (352) 338-9566.