ACT facilitates purchase of Union County conservation easement

The Alachua Conservation Trust recently facilitated the purchase of a 200-acre family property in Union County near Raiford that will protect lands in the Upper New River corridor.
The Alachua Conservation Trust recently facilitated the purchase of a 200-acre family property in Union County near Raiford that will protect lands in the Upper New River corridor.
Courtesy of ACT

The Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) recently facilitated the purchase of a 200-acre family property in Union County near Raiford that will protect lands in the Upper New River corridor.

According to an ACT release, the conservation easement was purchased by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and facilitated by ACT. The two organizations helped the Diercks family sell a conservation easement that was acquired through Florida Forever.

The property is located west of the upper New River, a tributary of the Santa Fe River and is next to the existing Raiford Wildlife Management Area conservation lands. The new easement expands the existing conservation lands around Raiford and will assist protection in the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) Corridor, which is a critical portion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor – a network of more than 18 million acres designated as high conservation priority by the Florida Legislature.

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The Diercks family land is part of the 69,000-acre Raiford to Osceola Greenway Florida Forever project area, which provides a habitat connection between the existing conservation areas. The family currently owns and manages their property for recreation, timber and wildlife habitat, and are members of the North Florida Prescribed Burn Association.

The property contains forest wetlands, pine plantations and floodplains and provides habitat for various wildlife species that include the federally at-risk Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, southern fox squirrel, bobwhite quail, Florida black bear, sandhill crane and swallow-tailed kite.

“The protection of the Diercks family property through this conservation easement will not only safeguard vital wildlife habitat, but also strengthen the ecological ties between existing conservation lands,” said ACT Executive Director Tom Kay in the press release. “By protecting this land, the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle and Florida black bear have a chance to thrive, while also honoring the family’s legacy of land stewardship.”

The Diercks Family shared, “It is gratifying to see our family’s land protected through this conservation easement. It has been our goal to preserve this area for future generations. This partnership is a step towards protecting its natural beauty and wildlife, and we hope it inspires others to take action in protecting Florida’s precious landscapes. We could not have gotten this conservation easement done without the assistance of ACT. ACT staff were instrumental in keeping everyone on track and moving forward. Their experience and knowledge of the process was invaluable to us.”

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