FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 31, 2013
DEP CLOSES ON 21,000 ACRE CONSERVATION EASEMENT THAT BUFFERS
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, CONSERVES HABITAT AND RECHARGES AQUIFER
~Second largest conservation easement completes Florida Forever project~
TALLAHASSEE –
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has closed on a conservation easement of nearly 21,000 acres that also acts as a buffer to
Eglin Air
Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. The purchase, approved in August by Governor
Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet, is a partnership between the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection, The Trust for Public Land, landowner
M.C. Davis and Eglin Air Force Base after Florida was awarded $1.75 million from the U.S. Department of
Defense as part of the 2013 REPI Challenge.
Governor Scott said,
"Florida continues to show that it is the most military friendly state in
the country and I am proud to continue partnering with our armed forces to
ensure our military can properly train in Florida. This partnership between
MC Davis, The Trust for Public Land, Florida and the U.S. Department of Defense
is a great example of how
we can protect our environment while supporting our U.S. Military."
The Department
contributed $10.2 million of Florida Forever funds, Davis discounted the property
by $7 million, the U.S. Department of Defense contributed $1.75 million as part
of the 2013 REPI Challenge and Eglin Air Force Base contributed
$550,000.
The Readiness and
Environmental Protection Integration Program funds cost-sharing partnerships
for the military with state and local governments and private conservation
organizations to address the need for compatible land use and conserved natural
landscapes in support of military readiness. Projects require at least a 1:1
funding match.
"This large tract
of conservation land is a testament to the partnership between Florida, the
Department of Defense, the Trust for Public Land and landowner MC Davis, who
has discounted this conservation land as a service to Floridians," said
DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. "This purchase helps to fulfill the
Department's continued emphasis on preserving conservation land that protects
springs, water resources and buffers military areas."
Col. Shawn Moore, 96th
Civil Engineer Group commander said, "Eglin Air Force Base is very grateful to Governor Scott
and his staff at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Trust
for Public Land, Nokuse Education, Inc., and the late Ms. Nancy Natoli of the
Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and
Environment), for their dedication in getting this landmark conservation easement
put in place. Collectively, via the
Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) initiative, this
partnership recognized the importance of protecting Eglin and its missions and
the value of protecting the natural resources within the State of Florida."
The purchase completes
the Seven Runs Creek Florida Forever Project.
In 2010, the North Nokuse Plantation project, which encompasses 11,961 acres,
and the Seven Runs Creek project — 14,649 acres — were combined. The project
was added to the Florida Forever priority list because of its groundwater
recharge benefits and ability to protect 14 rare species, including the Florida
black bear, gopher tortoise, Florida pine snake, Pine Barrens treefrog and
eastern diamondback rattlesnake. It also provides additional buffer for Eglin
Air Force Base, one of the country’s largest Air Force bases. The 20,800-acre conservation easement is the second largest in Florida history behind Fisheating Creek, a nearly 42,000 acre conservation easement in Glades County that closed in 1999.
Greg Chelius, senior project
manager for The Trust for Public Land said, “We’re
always grateful to partner with the State of Florida. Seven Runs Creek is a priority
for clean drinking water and the Gulf of Mexico. M.C. Davis, the landowner, has
already planted 7 million longleaf pine trees and his vision for restoration is
the centerpiece of this initiative. Our airmen and airwomen at Eglin Air Force Base and the
people of Walton County will benefit from the protected lands which buffer the base.”
Landowner M.C. Davis said, "The Seven Runs project is a shining and original
example of Entrepreneurial Conservation. The successful combination of
government and private resources made this large-scale project achievable and
affordable. This new process will surely be followed for similar future
projects. The DEP, under the senior leadership of Herschel
Vinyard, worked closely with Eglin AFB and the Pentagon to enhance the quality
of the Florida environment, the security of our country, and the enterprise of
our region, for which I and future generations will be eternally
grateful."
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