Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet are expected Tuesday to evaluate a $4.21 million state expenditure to conserve over 8,000 acres in Dixie County.
The proposed purchase of a conservation easement on 8,138 acres of land would “buffer and protect the natural resources of the Suwannee River to the Gulf of Mexico,” according to a report by state staff recommending the purchase.
The owner of the land is Lyme Cross City Forest Company LLC.
With a conservation easement in place on the 8,138 acres, timber harvesting still would be permitted, but development and other activities would be prohibited.
“The conservation easement will permanently limit development, while allowing the landowner to sustainably harvest timber, thereby ensuring important forestry jobs stay in the community, which is the county’s largest employer,” according to the staff recommendation, which is supported by the Dixie County Commission.
The conservation easement also is expected to add to eco-tourism in Dixie County by protecting water for swimming, fishing and boating. [Southeast AgNet] — Mike Seemuth