NFLT hosting workshop in Clay for federal landowner assistance

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Landowners with property in one of North Florida’s most prominent conservation areas are being encouraged to seek federal financial assistance mainly for agricultural interests.

The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, wants landowners to apply for federal assistance. The two groups are targeting landowners in the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor (O2O) and the Corridor to Coast (C2C) areas to apply for Regional Conservation Partnership Program Land Management funding.

An NFLT news release stated that approximately $1.7 million in funding is available through these programs for O2O and C2C property owners.

“Land management is not always easy, and this program will provide landowners with a little help to do things they may already be doing to ensure the land remains a natural resource and thriving habitat for plants and wildlife,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of the NFLT. “We will be holding workshops to help explain the process and to help landowners apply. We encourage landowners within the O2O and C2C to join us.”

The first workshop is set for July 16 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Clay County  University of Florida Extension Office on State Road 16 in Green Cove Springs near the fairgrounds. The second event will take place in Flagler County on July 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UF Extension, located on Sawgrass Road. Those interested in attending should call the NFLT at (904) 557-7985 or email [email protected].

The NFLT is leading both the O2O and C2C partnerships, which protect tracts of land in those North Florida areas. They serve as natural buffers and provide habitats for many wildlife species. The natural land helps protect against flooding and decreases the potential for soil erosion and pollution from fertilizers, insecticides, oil, grease and other human-made and natural pollutants that can enter water sources.

The Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor (O2O) is a 100-mile-long, 1.6-million-acre landscape of public and private lands that connects the Ocala and Osceola National Forests, including a large swatch of Camp Blanding.

O2O includes priority lands for the Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN) and is a significant part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Suppose the system of natural landscapes and connector lands is protected. In that case, the O2O will continue to provide habitat for Florida black bears and imperiled species, such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, indigo snake and gopher tortoise. In addition, there are opportunities to protect iconic Florida ecosystems, including longleaf pine forests, sandhills, and scrub in the O2O.

The NFLT is a nonprofit conservation group that has acquired tens of thousands of acres of land in North Florida and converted it into protected conservation areas since its founding in 1999.

Drew Dixon is a 40-year veteran journalist who has reported in print and broadcast media throughout Florida, beginning in Ohio in the 1980s. He is also an adjunct professor of philosophy and ethics at three colleges: Jacksonville University, University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville. You can reach him at [email protected].