GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The North Florida Land Trust presented its final report for the Conservation Program to the Board of County Commission Tuesday.

The study was launched last fall and included three public meetings where residents could list their conservation priorities. If approved by the voters, the county will authorize and manage environmentally significant lands.
Director of Conservation Ramesh Buch said the Conservation Program said the venture would need to be funded by ad valorem taxes. He also said residents said their top priorities were protecting drinking water sources, protecting wildlife habitats, providing access to passive recreation and conserving agriculturally essential lands. Language for the referendum still needs to be crafted.

Allison DeFoor, President and CEO of the organization, emphasized the nonprofit’s deep-rooted commitment to the county.
“We are not a bunch of tree-hugging hippies who want to come into the county and tell you how to run it. That’s not where our values are. We have protected over 30,000 acres, with nearly half of that in Clay. We are committed to the core of our existence and we believe that it is ‘now or never’ in terms of preservation,” he said. 
Busch pointed out the initiative is part of the Osceola to Ocala Wildlife Corridor, a 1.6-million-acre landscape of public and private lands that connect Osceola and Ocala National Forests. Its goal is to preserve water quality, aid five watersheds and protect outdoor recreation and green space, among other principles.