Local

North Florida Land Trust has acquired 400 acres for conservation in Clay County

Image 1 of 4

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — North Florida Land Trust has announced that it acquired 400 acres in Clay County. The land is located within the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor. A 1.6 million-acre network of public and private lands, the Corridor connects the Ocala and Osceola National Forests.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

One of the objectives of adding this land is to create a buffer to the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center while aiding in land conservation.

“Acquiring this property is a big win for our team and for conservation in general,” said Allison DeFoor, interim president of NFLT. “We were able to save at least this 400 acres from being developed which would have destroyed some important habitats for many plant and animal species. We will continue to do all we can to protect these natural places that are critical to their survival.”

The property is in the Northeast Florida Timberlands and Watershed Reserve Florida Forever Project. According to a recent news release, the purchase was valued at $3.4 million with funding provided by the Florida Defense Support Task Force through the Clay County Development Authority and the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environment Protection Integration program.

Read: Orlando FreeFall ride to be taken down following Tyre Sampson’s death

The property is described as being made up of pine plantations with wetlands that are associated with tributaries to the south fork of Black Creek. Wildlife includes the Florida black bear, the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, the indigo snake and the gopher tortoise.

The land is also a habitat for the Florida pitcher plant. Five of the six native pitcher plant species are considered threatened or endangered.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Preserving this land will allow wildlife to migrate and maintain populations as they are pushed out of developing areas.

0
Comments on this article
0

mobile apps

Everything you love about wokv.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!