FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 18, 2014
DEP SECRETARY
APPROVES ACQUISITION OF SIX GREENWAY AND TRAIL PROJECTS
~Department approves recommendations of the Florida Greenways and Trails Council~
 Four Freedoms Trail is a 12-mile recreational trail extending north from the city limits of Madison to the Withlacoochee River.
TALLAHASSEE – Florida
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. has
approved six acquisition projects that close key trail gaps in the Florida
Greenways and Trails Priority System. Funding for the projects will come from the department’s
Florida Forever funding to the Office
of Greenways and Trails.
“These projects will enhance recreational opportunities for Florida residents and visitors,” said Secretary Vinyard. “In simpler terms, these trails will enable the folks to get a little mud on their boots and bike tires.”
The projects
include two trail gaps in Palm Beach County along the 63-mile Ocean to Lake
Trail that runs from Hobe Sound Beach near Jupiter to Lake Okeechobee in Port
Mayaca. The trail is used by hikers, bicyclists and equestrians.
Additionally,
two projects will help close gaps in the 110-mile Cross Florida Greenway and
another connects the Cross Florida Greenway to the 4,462-acre Indian Lake State
Forest near Silver Springs in Ocala. An approved project in the Florida
Panhandle creates a greenway along the scenic Chipola River in Jackson County,
furthering a planned publicly owned corridor from Florida Caverns State Park to
the county-owned Hinson Conservation and Recreation Area.
The approved
projects have been given to the department’s Division of State Lands to begin
the acquisition process. To view the complete project list, click HERE.
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