News

05/08/2012: Benefits of the North Central Florida Prescribed Fire Working Group

The North Central Florida Prescribed Fire Working Group is established as a cooperative effort among public and private agencies and organizations with the intention to accomplish prescribed fire objectives on public and private lands, improve fire training and education opportunities, and promote public understanding and the acceptance of prescribed fire in the North-Central Florida area. Read more

05/07/2012: ACF Closes on Butler Conservation Easement deal adjacent to Barr Hammock Levy Prairie

Alachua County closed its fourth deal in as many weeks. This conservation easement on the north rim of Levy Prairie in south Alachua County protects part of the watershed of the Barr Hammock Preserve and continues low intensity cattle grazing. The USDA contibuted $141,500 (50% match) towards the deal. Butler Family generously donated an additional 25% in land value to make the acquisition possible. Click here for details of the project.

04/11/2012: ACF Acquires Three Projects in Three Weeks.

Alachua County Forever closed two fee simple land conservation projects, and a conservation easement all in the last three weeks. On March 22, the 109-acre Freeland Conservation Easement was finalized adding the fourth conservation tract to the State's San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park (joining Martin & Sanders, Rolling Meadows, and Turkey Creek Hammock). On April 6, the County and Alachua Conservation Trust closed on the 702-acre Little Orange Creek tract near Hawthorne adding this area to that 1,200 acres already preserved by the City of Hawthorne and the Putnam Land Conservancy. The Little Orange Creek acquisition was made possible by The Conservation Fund's Lauren Day, who brought TCF's bridge funding to the table to hold the property until the County and ACT could get their processes lined up. ACT contributed $1 million in FWS NAWCA funds towards the $1.775 purchase price and will manage the property. Finally, on April 11, ACF closed on the 640-acre Metzger Tract at Watermelon Pond. This adds to the 1,300-acre FWC Watermelon Pond Wildlife Enhancement Area.

03/22/2012: Stop The Presses! ACF Rolls Out Newsletter.

Alachua County Forever has been getting some criticism for not telling its "story" widely enough. When we discuss issues with the public, we invariably get the response, "I didn't know that! Why don't you write that somewhere people can read it!". So we did. Click on the image or the link below to view the inaugural issue. We are entertaining suggestions for a permanent name, in time for the next quarterly issue due out in late June. See the newsletter for details. 

03/22/2012: ACF Closes Conservation Easement adjacent to San Felasco Hammock.

Alachua County closed on the 109-acre Freeland conservation easement adding 109 acres to the conservation efforts in the area. This property adjoins the State Park and contains a portion of Cellon Creek, it also connects two previous acquisitions. For more information, click on the hyperlink above.

01/12/2012: ACF Closes Two Conservation Easements in East Gainesville

8/25/2011: FCT Finalizes Award.

8/9/2011: ACF is in the Money... Again!

Alachua County Forever has been ranked 4th of 57 applicants in this year's Florida Communites Trust grant cycle. ACF submitted the recently-acquired Turkey Creek Hammock to FCT for consideration. The County is requesting $1.5 million to reimburse almost 40% of the $4 million purchase price. If successful, this would bring ACF's total since 2001 from FCT to $20 million towards $37 million in FCT-County acquisitions. FCT is a state agency that assists local communities with purchasing spaces for recreation and preservation. This year, FCT has a reduced allocation of $17 million down from past years' $66 million. So remaining at the top of this list is vital to remaining in the money. More...

7/15/2011: ACF teams up with Santa Fe Teaching Zoo to protect Gopher Tortoises.

Alachua County Forever and the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo initiated a new partnership this month. SFTZ requires its students to undertake a conservation-related project to complete their coursework. A group of these students contacted ACF about volunteering on one of the County’s preserves to meet this requirement and get some practical experience. ACF had a need to locate gopher tortoise burrows in preparation for timber thinning operations. And the partnership was born.. More...

4/28/2011: ACF Closes on a Third Addition to San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park.

ACF purchased the Cellon Creek (Rolling Meadows, LLC) tract after almost 2 years of negotiations and complicated real estate work. It was worth it as the County was able to add 208 acres to the State Park including 3/4 of a mile of Cellon Creek with drains to the aquifer in the State Park. The State Park Service will manage the property for the County as a unit of the Park.

12/9/2010: ACF Closes Three Projects in One Day.

ACF closed two additions to Paynes Prairie Preseve State Park and a critical addition to Barr Hammock. The Crevasse Ranch and Crevasse CBI tracts add 175 acres to the State Park. It completes the purchase of the 745-acre Crevasse inholding, one of the largest remaining inholdings in the Park. This was a partnership between the County, Alachua Conservation Trust, the State Park Service and Conservation Burials, Inc., a conservation burials company. The South (Perry) Addition tract allows the County to develop a trailhead on CR 234 for its 5,500-acre Barr Hammock Preserve.