The Nature Conservancy and Florida Division of Forestry Protect 1,400 acres in Panhandle Conservation Corridor

Coldwater Creek canoe trail part of protected site.

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL — September 30, 2009 — The Nature Conservancy today sold nearly 1,400 acres, including six miles of a state-recognized clearwater creek, to the state in a long-awaited transaction that uses some of the last Florida Forever money. The Santa Rosa County site, a puzzle piece in a larger regional conservation landscape the state and The Nature Conservancy still hope to complete, will be managed by the Florida Division of Forestry.

The Nature Conservancy bought the land three years ago as part of a large multi-state transaction with International Paper, the Conservancy valuing the site for both its location and natural resources. The site not only provides habitat for wide-ranging species such as the Florida black bear and numerous birds, it will also contribute to the eventual connection of Blackwater River State Forest with Whiting Field Naval Air Station and provides an important buffer for military security and encroachment. All Navy helicopter pilots train at Whiting Field, also a major training facility for fixed-wing pilots.

The Nature Conservancy will take a significant loss on the transaction, as the land value dropped while the Conservancy held it over the last few years. But The Nature Conservancy’s Director of Land Protection Keith Fountain said that “expanding the public conservation landscape around Blackwater River State Forest, which contains some of Florida’s most extensive and well-managed longleaf pine and riverine habitats, is a top priority for the Conservancy’s resources.”

Winding through the property is Coldwater Creek, a sand-bottomed, clearwater creek fed by the relatively unaltered adjacent floodplain and seepage streams. The project protects six miles of this outstanding state designated canoe trail. Coldwater Creek is a tributary of the Blackwater River, which ultimately flows into Blackwater Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The project will be an addition to Blackwater River State Forest, probably the premier state forest in Florida.

“This acquisition is a great example of the synergy created through partnering of public and private entities sharing complementary goals, objectives, and monies,” said Florida Division of Forestry Director Jim Karels. “My congratulations to all who have worked so hard to develop a creative acquisition that benefits the conservation of significant natural forest resources, while simultaneously addressing the need for off-highway vehicle recreation and meeting the military’s need for installation buffering.”

The state has been working with the off-highway vehicle (OHV) community and conservation community to find an appropriate location in west Florida for a managed OHV recreation area. The most favorable site identified in this area by the State of Florida Off Highway Vehicle Advisory Committee is the northeastern side of NAS-Whiting Field, a former pine plantation.

Partners who contributed to this successful protection in addition to The Nature Conservancy and the Division of Forestry are the Department of Defense – Whiting Field Naval Air Station, OHV Trust Fund, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Santa Rosa County and the Department of Environmental Protection. The Division of Forestry has protected thousands of acres of lands over the last decade that help to better protect the Blackwater River watershed.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.