The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has opened the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) application cycle. The RFLPP is an agricultural land preservation program administered by the state, which is designed to protect important agricultural lands through the acquisition of permanent agricultural land conservation easements.
Established in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program has successfully acquired conservation easements on nearly 69,000 acres of working agricultural land to date. The program recognizes that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida’s economic future. Agricultural lands are being increasingly threatened by urban development. To counter this trend, the RFLPP coordinates with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while protecting natural resources.
The application cycle is now open and will close on July 27, 2023 at 5 pm. Applications to the program must be submitted on the form provided on the website. www.FDACS.gov/RFLPP This is the 1st time the DACS has accepted applications for this program in many years and this current application cycle may inform the list the DACS uses in future years to negotiate the purchase of agricultural easements.
The Volusia County Volusia Forever program also implements an agricultural easement program which is accepting applications. The Volusia Forever program is named the Forests and Farmlands program, and, similar to the RFLPP, the Forests and Farmlands program works with eligible landowners to purchase their property’s future development rights while simultaneously working with the landowner to keep their property in agricultural production. This is done using a conservation easement, the terms of which are negotiated with the landowner and written to ensure agricultural production is allowed to continue in perpetuity. Volusia County will also occasionally partner with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services who have similar programs.
Additional information about the Volusia Forever Forests and Farmlands program is available at www.volusia.org/forever
Working lands also provide a pivotal role in connecting lands of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Local agricultural producers now have local and state level opportunities to be compensated for preserving their piece of the 100,000+ acres of farmland Volusia County. For more information contact Tim Telfer, Volusia County Land Acquisition Manager, at ttelfer@volusia.org or 386-943-7081 ext. 13460.