TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the permanent protection of more than 1,300 acres of working Florida agricultural land through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Charlie Creek Marsh, an approximately 1,373-acre diversified agricultural operation in Hardee County, Florida, has been permanently preserved from development through five separate rural lands protection easements, totaling $6,010,000.

Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agriculture operations to continue to contribute to Florida's economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida.

"By completing the preservation of Charlie Creek Marsh, Florida has made another smart investment for the state and for Florida taxpayers," said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. "By permanently protecting working agricultural lands from development, we're strengthening our food security, conserving natural resources and wildlife habitat, and supporting the farmers and ranchers who keep Florida running - all without creating new maintenance costs for the state."

Since its inception, the department's Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has permanently preserved approximately 225,000 acres of working agricultural land, with approximately 159,000 acres preserved during Commissioner Simpson's administration.

The properties are enrolled in FDACS Best Management Practices and are located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which was established in state law in 2021 through the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act as a priority of then-Senate President Wilton Simpson.

Charlie Creek Marsh Project

The Charlie Creek Marsh properties, totaling 1,373 acres, contain sections of Charlie Creek and Buckhorn Creek. The project consists of two disjunct tracts, with the northern tract comprising pasture, natural forested uplands, natural forested wetlands, and natural non-forested wetlands, with small inclusions of citrus and croplands. The southern tract consists of natural forested wetlands and pasture. Adjacent lands between the two tracts are conserved under the Wetlands Reserve Program. The property supports Florida panther habitat and provides an upland buffer to Charlie Creek, a critical tributary to the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor's estuarine ecosystem, and one of the few remaining intact systems in the region.

About the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program

Established in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, 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 Rural and Family Lands Protection Program partners with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while protecting natural resources.

Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agricultural operations to continue contributing to Florida's economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the state's prosperity. Additionally, by purchasing development rights through a rural lands protection easement, the program does not impose an additional burden on the taxpayer by having to maintain state-owned lands.

Since 2022, Commissioner Simpson has helped to secure more than $700 million in state funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, including $250 million in the 2025/2026 state budget.

Commissioner Simpson has been involved in Florida's land conservation policy issues long before becoming Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson championed the successful passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which directed the state of Florida to better protect and connect Florida's natural areas and wildlife habitats and to preserve working agricultural lands from future development.

A story map of all completed Rural and Family Lands Protection Program projects can be viewed here: FDACS.gov/RFLPPMap.

For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.

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