Nearly 1,000 acres of Polk County agricultural land is now permanently protected from development thanks to a partnership between Polk County and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, easements were purchased on the 916-acre G-3 Ranch and the 75-acre David and Elizabeth Hunt cattle ranch. The easements prevent future development while allowing farming and ranching to continue on the land.
The G-3 Ranch easement cost $6,450,000, with Polk County contributing $500,000. The property is split roughly in half: natural habitat with pine forests and creeks flowing into the Peace River, and working land with pasture and citrus groves transitioning to strawberries and watermelon. The Hunt easement cost $745,000, with the county providing $250,000, and its wetlands connect to Gator Lake and Lake Pembroke. Both properties sit within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and are enrolled in FDACS Agricultural Best Management Practices.
For Suncoast communities, this deal protects more than open space. The Peace River watershed and the wildlife corridor are regional resources, and keeping farmland in production supports local food supply as development pressure continues across Central Florida. “I want to recognize the team from the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program for their partnership to protect water, wildlife, wilderness and working landscapes in Polk County,” said Tabitha Biehl, director of Polk County Parks and Natural Resources.
What farmland or green space in your community would you want protected next?
