FDACS Announces Preservation of Washington County Farmland
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of more Florida farmland through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Hard Labor Creek, a 2,336-acre property located in Washington County, is being preserved through a rural lands protection easement for $4,995,000.
“This investment in Hard Labor Creek is another example of Florida’s commitment to keeping agriculture strong, protecting private property rights, and preserving the way of life that built this state,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “Programs like the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program ensure that Florida’s farmers and ranchers can continue producing the food, fiber, and resources we depend on while safeguarding our natural lands from unchecked development. This is a commonsense, conservative approach to conservation – protecting working lands, supporting our economy, and securing Florida’s future.”
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program purchases the development rights to agricultural properties through voluntary rural lands protection easements, which prevent the future development of the land and allow agriculture operations to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida.
Hard Labor Creek
Hard Labor Creek is 2,336 acres of rolling pinelands and forested wetlands in Washington County that includes portions of Holmes Creek and Hard Labor Creek. The dominant agricultural activity on this property is silviculture and it is managed for improved wildlife habitat. Hard Labor Creek has three main surface water bodies that flow through the property and serve as recharge areas. The property is within two miles of Choctawhatchee River Water Management Area and abuts the Haddock Conservation Easement along Holmes Creek.
The management of Hard Labor Creek has helped encourage a great diversity in both plants and animals on the property. The upland pine stands are managed for wildlife and timber. Wildlife species include whitetail deer, turkey, quail, otters, red-tailed hawks, and striped skunks. Hard Labor Creek is within the Wildlife Corridor and has a significant historic site on the property where the Battle of Vernon occurred during the American Civil War.
About the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
Established in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program recognizes that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida’s economic future. Agricultural lands are being increasingly threatened by urban development. To counter this trend, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program partners with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while protecting natural resources. Since its inception, the program has permanently preserved more than 196,000 acres of working agricultural land, with over 130,000 acres preserved during Commissioner Simpson’s administration.
During the 2024 Legislative Session, Commissioner Simpson helped to secure a $100 million legislative appropriation for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and another $100 million each fiscal year, appropriated in SB 1638, to support the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including the acquisition of rural land protection easements under the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
Commissioner Simpson has been involved in Florida’s land conservation policy issues long before becoming Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson championed the successful passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which directed the state of Florida to better protect and connect Florida’s natural areas and wildlife habitats and to preserve working agricultural lands from future development. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson also secured a $300 million legislative appropriation for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
A story map of all completed Rural and Family Lands Protection Program projects can be viewed here: FDACS.gov/RFLPPMap.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.