Newsletter Spring 2021

The O2O Partnership protected over 4,400 acres in the O2O last year, including 65 acres of fee and a whopping 4,346 acres of conservation easement acquisition!  We are happy to report that our Partner, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) was responsible for a large portion of this, through the Florida Forever program.  North Florida Land Trust received two donated conservation easements, leveraged new funding sources and funding partners, and continued to purchase land through the Camp Blanding Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program to buffer lands surrounding the installation.  Putnam Land Conservancy continued their efforts to stitch together natural landscapes through acquisition of small but strategically located lands. 

Click on the logos to learn more about each

The 2018 O2O Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP): 

NFLT and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) entered into an agreement in 2018 to collaboratively direct $3.5 million of Farm Bill program funding in the O2O.  As part of this RCPP, NFLT and NRCS, in cooperation with our partners have three Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) easement projects totally over 1,600 acres, which will close later this year or early 2022.  This is the first use of this Farm Bill program funding in the O2O!

NFLT continues to work with the Camp Blanding REPI program as part of a cooperative agreement with the Army National Guard to acquire conservation lands and easements in the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB).  This funded one acquisition in 2020, and NFLT is working on more conservation projects for 2021 and beyond.  

The multi-stakeholder O2O Partnership is entering its fourth year as a chartered partnership centered on a common goal of landscape conservation in the O2O.  This includes the goal of protecting 140,000 acres by 2040 through strategic acquisitions of land and conservation easements, and land management.  The O2O Partnership is led by NFLT and has a 20 member organizations, including federal and state conservation agencies and six non-profit organizations. 

A major 2020 development for the Partnership was hiring Kimberly Tillman as a dedicated O2O Partnership Coordinator.  Now at her first anniversary with NFLT, Kimberly is responsible for Partnership meetings, improving communications and collaboration, and educating about the O2O landscape and initiative.  NFLT was able to fund the position in part from an award from the Network for Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund grant.

Last year we enjoyed improvements in O2O Partnership communications and information sharing.  The improved digital O2O Partnership newsletter (like this one) communicates content on land management activities, acquisitions, wildlife sightings, partner working groups and more that is happening within the O2O boundary.  Significantly, the O2O now has its own website dedicated to sharing information about O2O conservation, programs, and the Partnership.  If you have not seen it, check it out: https://o2owildlifecorridor.org

Despite the global pandemic, the O2O Partnership continued to convene in 2020.  We held two “webinar” style digital meetings, which centered on information sharing.  These meetings were recorded and are available here on the O2O website under recorded meetings.

A Potential New Florida Forever Project Area:

Big Pine Preserve:  NFLT successfully gained initial approval for a brand-new Florida Forever “project area”. The proposed 541 acre “Big Pine Preserve” was approved for evaluation by the State Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) last December.  Significantly, Big Pine Preserves contains the largest unprotected old-growth longleaf pine forest in Florida, as well as notable lands on the shores of Lake Kerr in the middle of the Ocala National Forest.  If approved, this may facilitate State funding for conservation of this important and unique property.

Newsletter brought to you by O2O’s lead partner the North Florida Land Trust.