The Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) recently acquired an easement to protect a 416-acre stretch of land along the Olustee Creek near the confluence with the Santa Fe River in Columbia and Union counties.

According to an ACT release, Donald and Janie Graham protected their 416-acre farm, which has been in Donald’s family since the 1860s, by granting a conservation easement to ACT.

The acquisition was made possible with funds from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) Alternative Water Supply and Accelerating Suwannee grant programs, which the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) administers. Protection for the Graham family farm now expands a network of connected conservation lands along the Upper Santa Fe River.

According to the release, “the property features rolling topography and shoulders on both sides of Olustee Creek for 1.3 miles. This section of the creek contains multiple sinkholes and boils. Located within the Devil’s Ear Springshed, an impaired first-magnitude Outstanding Florida Spring designated by DEP, Olustee Creek is a major tributary to the Santa Fe River. The property connects to existing state and local conservation lands, including O’Leno State Park and ACT’s Santa Fe Springs Preserve.”

The Graham family has farmed a wide variety of commodities over the past 160 years that include tobacco, hogs, corn, soybeans, peanuts and cattle. The sale of the conservation easement will allow the Grahams to transition the farm to less intensive agricultural operations, including cover cropping and rotational grazing.

“The Santa Fe River is the emerald necklace of North Central Florida, both ecologically and culturally,” said ACT’s Executive Director Tom Kay in the release. “Conserving this property along Olustee Creek contributes to river and springs protection, safeguards wildlife habitat, and expands an existing conservation corridor in the region.”

SRWMD Executive Director, Hugh Thomas, added, “Conservation easements reflect a lasting commitment to protect our region’s natural beauty and water resources. This project shows the power of local partnerships and state support working together to preserve environmentally sensitive areas. By preserving these lands today, we’re ensuring that both ecosystems and communities thrive well into the future.”