- Two families have permanently protected 473 acres in Columbia County through conservation easements to preserve habitat and agricultural land.
- One easement protects 426 acres at Evergreen Ponds Ranch with wildlife habitats; the other covers 47 acres near Ichetucknee Springs State Park supporting native species.
Two families have permanently protected a combined 473 acres in Columbia County through conservation easements with Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT), preserving wildlife habitat, agricultural land and natural areas that help protect the Ichetucknee Springshed.
According to an ACT release, the properties add to the region’s conservation landscape in North Central Florida, demonstrating how working lands can protect springs and waterways while maintaining the area’s rural character and agricultural heritage.
The larger property, Evergreen Ponds Ranch, encompasses more than 426 acres near Interstate 75. Its conservation easement ensures the land will not be developed, protecting a landscape of rolling uplands, freshwater wetlands, ponds, marshes, forests and open pastures.
The ranch provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including a documented nesting pair of bald eagles. Other bird species observed on the property include barred owls, eastern bluebirds, belted kingfishers, great blue herons, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, American white pelicans, hawks and numerous waterfowl.
The property also carries a multigenerational family history. A family member who grew up nearby worked for a previous landowner before serving in the Navy during World War II. He sent much of his earnings home to his wife, who worked as a school principal. She used the savings to purchase portions of the property as they became available, and the family continued adding land over the years. The final two acres were acquired in 2025.
The family partnered with ACT to place the conservation easement on the property in September. Funding support came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program-Agricultural Land Easements, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program, the Suwannee River Water Management District and the EJK Foundation.
“By permanently conserving these 426 acres of rolling hills, rich woodlands, and beautiful natural ponds, we are ensuring that the property’s agricultural and natural heritage endures and that the water resources feeding our landscape remain protected for generations to come,” the Evergreen Ponds Ranch landowners said in the release. “This land is more than just property to us, and we are more than just its owners — we consider ourselves the stewards of this local ecosystem. This conservation easement is a lasting legacy inspired by our parents’ and grandparents’ commitment to the stewardship of the earth.”
Hugh Thomas, executive director of the Suwannee River Water Management District, said protecting land within the Ichetucknee Basin helps safeguard the springs system and the surrounding landscape.
“Bringing property into a conservation easement within the Ichetucknee Basin represents a permanent investment in Florida’s water resources,” Thomas said in the release. “Through voluntary land conservation, we protect the recharge lands that sustain the Ichetucknee springs system, preserving water quality, natural habitats, and the rural landscape that defines this globally significant watershed.”
A second conservation easement protects 47 acres less than five miles north of Ichetucknee Springs State Park. The property includes sandy and calcareous soils, slash pine trees, native groundcover, hardwoods and exposed limestone.
Protecting land in the Ichetucknee Springshed helps reduce potential impacts on aquifer flows and nutrient levels while benefiting nearby waterbodies, native plants and wildlife, including the protected gopher tortoise.
Funding for the second easement came through the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program as part of ACT’s Surface to Springs project. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program and the Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation’s Project Assistance Fund provided additional support for due diligence costs.
Both families are donating a portion of their conservation easement values to ACT as tax-deductible contributions.
“These two incredible families should be applauded for their deep connection to their land and for finding a path to protect it,” said Tom Kay, ACT executive director, in the release. “Conservation easements on their lands will ensure their family’s legacy, along with the natural resources, nearby local springs, and North Florida’s agricultural heritage, can continue to thrive for generations to come.”