Protected lands and waters are legally established areas set aside to conserve nature and cultural values. Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place, and property owners must obtain permits from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before they can move them. September 16, 2020: EPA is soliciting comments on Florida's request to assume a CWA Section 404 program. Gopher tortoises are a threatened wildlife species and are protected by state law, Chapter 68A-27, Florida Administrative Code. The Land and Recreation Grants Program internet web site is currently undergoing enhancements to better service our customers. The following article outlines federal land data for all 50 states. These surplus parcels consist of small parcels that the state acquired as a result of the Murphy Act. In a new executive order, the president promised to protect 30 percent of U.S. land … These public lands help ensure all Florida’s residents and visitors have the opportunity to truly appreciate Florida’s unique landscapes. The following icons link to free Reader/Viewer software: The level of protection varies. Mangroves are found along coastal areas and can be found on many plots of waterfront property. Callie DeHaven, Director, Division of State Lands. The state of Florida owns and oversees management of approximately 3.8 million acres of uplands (which includes 500,000 acres of conservation easements). The vision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystems. Under the Agricultural Land Easements component, NRCS helps American Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit non-agricultural … Florida Forever is more than an environmental land acquisition program, it is a program shaping the future of Florida. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship – protecting our air, water and land. As such, the division’s role goes far beyond just acquiring lands for protection. Provides real estate and land management services to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. Interested in subscribing to DEP newsletters or receiving DEP updates through email? Protected areas of … These transactions are processed by DEP's Division of State Lands Bureau of Real Estate Services' Disposition section. With a total of 10.1 million acres of conservation land in Florida, more than 2.4 million acres were purchased under the Florida Forever and P2000 programs. For additional assistance, please contact us at 850-245-2501 . It provides oversight for the management of activities on more than 12 million acres of public lands including lakes, rivers and islands. Learn more about the impact our efforts have made. This will make small parcels of land, which are scattered throughout the state, available to counties and the general public. The Florida scrub jay was officially listed as a threatened state species by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in 1975 and it was listed as a threatened federal species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987. This area is 14% of the total land area of the US and a tenth of the world’s protected land area. Updated May 29, 2019. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Your JavaScript is turned off limiting this website’s functionality. When sold to private entities, these parcels are put on county tax rolls, generating tax dollars for local governments. Of course, it also does not apply to homestead property, as homestead property is protected by the … For more information visit EPA R4's web page . Most recently, she spent seven years in the private sector implementing an accelerated conservation land sales program for a timberland landowner, where she led conservation business activities across 1.8 million acres in multiple states. Maintains a repository of land records, determines the location of land and water boundaries, and clearly delineates the boundaries of state-owned lands. According to The Land Report, over 100 wealthy families own 42 million acres of land across the U.S. Each of the 20 individuals and families that own the most land hold over a … PDF: | Like all states, Florida has a set of exemptions you can use to protect property—such as a home, car, or retirement account—when filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. A protected land area is an area designated as important and protected because of its biological diversity and natural or cultural resources. The Murphy Act provided for statutory forfeiture of lands for nonpayment of taxes. Earlier in her career she served the public as a Planning Manager in the Division of State Lands. Florida tenants, like those in other states, are protected by the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Before a building or parcel of land is offered for lease or sale to a local or federal unit of government or a private party, it shall first be offered for lease to state agencies, state universities and the Florida College System institutions, with priority consideration given to state universities and Florida College System institutions. The vision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystems. The National Marine Protected Areas covered 490, 893 square miles. The state of Florida owns and oversees management of approximately 3.8 million acres of uplands (which includes 500,000 acres of conservation easements). The Florida Homestead also allows a property tax exemption of $25,000 from city, county and school board assessed values. To help keep development from overtaking farmland, Palm Beach County voters in 1999 approved spending $100 million to buy about 2,400 acres that gets leased out to … She was the principal liaison between the department and other state agencies in the development of Conservation and Recreation Lands, Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever projects. If the home is in the county, then the exemption applies up to … Some state parks, like Adirondack Park, are similar to the national parks of England and Wales, with numerous towns inside the borders of the park. With a total of 10.1 million acres of conservation land in Florida, more than 2.4 million acres were purchased under the Florida Forever and P2000 programs. PAD-US is a product of Core Science Analytics, Synthesis, and Library (CSAS&L) in the USGS Core Science Systems Mission Area. The current Florida Constitution, which was ratified in 1968, used this same number of 160 acres as a basis for the Florida constitutional homestead protection against forced sale and levy. The USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US) is the official GIS-based national inventory of protected area boundaries within the U.S. In other words, the Florida Constitution ensured that those federal grants of up to 160 acres were protected. The bankruptcy chapter you choose to file will determine what will happen to any nonexempt property. Further, as noted above, the Homestead is only protected up to a certain amount of land (1/2 acre within a municipality). From the Florida Panhandle to the Everglades Headwaters north of Lake Okeechobee, our projects are shaping Florida’s Conservation Future. Here’s how it could be done. After this broad overview, my hope is that you understand the key concepts necessary to explore your own Florida asset protection needs and formulate a plan that makes sense. This area is 12% of the US total marine area. Jointly Owned Homestead She returned to the department in 2017 to lead the Division of State Lands, Florida’s team of dedicated public land stewards and real estate specialists. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of State Lands is Florida’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship, serving as staff to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (Governor and Cabinet). Anything over this amount can be forced to be sold by creditors. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Your JavaScript is turned off limiting this website’s functionality. Our work creates, expands and links conservation lands. The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States. The Mormon Church, which intends to farm and timber this new windfall of turf, already holds sway over the Desert Ranches, a 290,000-acre swath of land in Central Florida. Sign up to receive notifications of surplus state lands. The Division of State Lands also assists landowners who want to sell land to the state, buy land from the state or gain access to public lands. Your home is protected from creditors in Florida subject to acreage limitations. The Division of State Lands also assists landowners who want to sell land to the state, buy land from the state or gain access to public lands. Some content on this site is saved in an alternative format. Total Acres Conserved. The first $25,000 in property value is exempt from all property taxes, including school district taxes. In addition to the protected areas on land, the US also had 787 National Marine Protected Areas. Excel: Contact Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Get Information About the Volkswagen Settlement, Florida Mitigation Fund, Protect the Environment from Solid and Hazardous Wastes, Environmental Accountability and Transparency, Recurring Statutorily-Required Reports and Publications, Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC), — 2020 Florida Forever 5-Year Plan : full report, — 2020 Florida Forever 5-Year Plan : by project, Public Land Acquisition and Management Partnership - Florida Forever Presentation, What to know Before the Next Hurricane Season, 2019/2020 Consumer Price Index Impacts on Submerged Land Leases, 2019/2020 Consumer Price Index and Submerged Land Leases Excluding Telecom Easements, Callie DeHaven - Director of State Lands.jpg. The additional $25,000 exemption is available for non-school taxes and applies only to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000. In fact, the large, statewide projects we target have global significance and will help protect some of the rarest habitats and species in the world. Most of the land is actively used by state agencies for recreation or conservation purposes, which are protected by … Interested in subscribing to DEP newsletters or receiving DEP updates through email? The federal government owns around 640 million acres of land (about 28 percent) of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Word: | (2) It is unlawful for any purpose to cut, harvest, remove, or eradicate any of the grass commonly known as sea oats or Uniola paniculata and Coccolobis uvifera commonly known as sea grapes from any public land or from any private land without consent of the owner of such land or person having lawful possession thereof. Acquisitions in this program provide a host of ecosystem benefits including: water quality and quantity, resiliency from storm impact, habitat and species protection, and outdoor recreation. Some content on this site is saved in an alternative format. Excel: Contact Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Get Information About the Volkswagen Settlement, Florida Mitigation Fund, Protect the Environment from Solid and Hazardous Wastes, Environmental Accountability and Transparency, FAQ: Disposition of State Lands and Facility Annual Report, All Bureau of Real Estate Services Content. The growing database contains more than three billion public land and marine acres managed by nearly 15,100 agencies and nongovernmental organizations, covering 200,000 separate parks and protected areas. She graduated from Marymount University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with a focus in Legal Studies. An overview of federal land policy and how federal land is managed can be accessed here.. Technically the entire state of Florida is … 32,701,848 The Bureau of Real Estate Services is responsible for activities related to negotiation, acquisition, disposition, exchange, donation and closing of real property. In 1993, there were estimated to … Supports land acquisition, disposition and management by contracting with independent appraisers throughout the state for unbiased opinion of the overall value of property to be purchased or sold. The number of protected areas in the United States was 25,800 in 2015. The Board of Trustees’ real estate administration program that generates revenue for the management, administration, protection and conservation of state-owned lands. Most of the Murphy Act parcels have already been sold or are managed for conservation or other uses. There are a number of protected species of trees that cannot trimmed, altered or removed without a professional license. The State protects wetlands by regulating development in wetland areas, acquiring wetlands and land adjacent to wetlands, and requiring local governments to produce long-range plans for wetland protection. This story map highlights just a small selection of projects led by the program. When buying land in Florida, flood zones, wetlands, and floodways are something you need to be aware of. If the home is in the city, the homestead exemption applies up to 1/2 acre. Through cooperative partnerships, the Florida Forever program will continue as the state’s blueprint for conserving our natural resources. Every state has a system of state parks as well as many other types of protected areas (forests, reserves, refuges, recreation areas, etc.). It includes public lands and parks, Wilderness Areas, National Wildlife Refuges, reserves, conservation easements, Marine Protected … Under the Florida Constitution, every Florida homeowner can receive a homestead exemption up to $50,000. Division of State Lands staff is constantly working to evaluate potential surplus property. Examples of protected land areas include nature reserves, wilderness areas, national parks, and natural monuments. The JE Canyon Ranch is at the heart of a growing core area of protected lands, and The Nature Conservancy's proposed ongoing land management, sustainable grazing, and innovative educational and outreach activities on the property intend to influence broader conservation outcomes in the region and further enhance the value of this already remarkable property. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship – protecting our air, water and land. 1.7 million acres (16.5 percent) of protected land (excluding agriculture) grows to 2.3 million acres (22.4 percent) South Florida Tax certificates unredeemed as of June 9, 1939, were automatically converted to fee simple title in the name of the state. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands, grasslands, and working farms and ranches through conservation easements. Costs depend on the land topography, how easily crews can get to it, and how much debris there is to remove. State parks vary widely from urban parks to very large parks that are on a par with national parks. According to Florida law, this land trust contract creates an “executory contract” in favor of the land trust beneficiary that serves as a protective barrier against predatory creditors. New tracking and mapping programs will help expedite and improve the process. Property that is not protected by the 10% cap includes agricultural property, conservation land, and certain other property that is already accorded favorable tax treatment. Word: | It replaces Preservation 2000 (P2000), the largest acquisition program of its kind in the United States. Three such such species are the three native species of Mangroves in Florida. DeHaven’s experience in the public, nonprofit and private sectors and commitment to strong partnerships complements our talented Division of State Lands team as they work to acquire, protect and preserve lands that will greatly benefit outdoor recreation and our natural and water resources across the state. Callie DeHaven is a fifth-generation Floridian whose passion for conserving Florida’s historic and natural landscapes led to her dedicating more than two decades to conservation planning, land acquisition and land stewardship. There is no monetary limit on the homestead exemption. A small percentage of lands are available as surplus, most of which are Murphy Act Lands, small parcels of land scattered across Florida. Prior to that, DeHaven was the Public Lands Protection Manager for The Nature Conservancy, where she served as the primary negotiator for acquisition of environmentally sensitive land in Florida’s Panhandle. PAD-US Help System. Florida has lost nearly one-half of its wetlands, primarily to agricultural drainage. The following icons link to free Reader/Viewer software: Landlords in the state must make sure they treat all tenants equally, especially those tenants that are members of the following seven protected classes: Florida Forever is Florida’s conservation and recreation lands acquisition program, a blueprint for conserving our natural resources and renewing our commitment to conserve our natural and cultural heritage. PDF: | Administers the Florida Forever Program and oversees the land management of all conservation lands owned by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. Most of the land is actively used by state agencies for recreation or conservation purposes, which are protected by the Florida Constitution in perpetuity. Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) World Database on Protected Areas ( WDPA ) where the compilation and management is carried out by United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre ( UNEP-WCMC ) in collaboration with governments, non-governmental organizations, academia and industry. The goal of this act is to end discrimination in any housing-related activity. Federal Register Notice . The U.S. commits to tripling its protected lands. About half the area of the park, some 3,000,000 acres (1,200,000 ha), is state-owned and preserved as "forever wild" by the Forest Prese…