The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has finalized a conservation easement on the 7,514-acre Kenansville Ranch in Osceola County. This action preserves the ranch as a working cattle operation while also protecting wildlife habitat. The property is part of the Ranch Reserve Florida Forever Project, which is recognized as a priority for conservation.
Kenansville Ranch supports around 1,600 cattle and features pastures, pine flatwoods, and wetlands. These areas are sustained by Wolf Creek, Tenmile Creek, and Sixmile Creek. The conservation easement ensures that agricultural activities will continue on the land, but with requirements that producers use best management practices to maintain water quality and environmental health.
“Conservation easements preserve Florida’s landscapes while keeping working lands productive,” said DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “By supporting agriculture, safeguarding water resources and protecting wildlife, projects like Kenansville Ranch strengthen Florida’s role in the nation’s food security and natural resource conservation.”
The ranch is located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and serves as habitat for species such as the bald eagle, eastern indigo snake, Florida burrowing owl, red-cockaded woodpecker, and sandhill crane. It is also adjacent to other protected lands, including Wolf Creek Ranch and Escape Ranch conservation easements managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District. This creates a larger network of protected land for wildlife movement. The approval for this conservation easement came from Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet during a previous meeting.
Florida continues to lead in land protection efforts nationwide. The Florida Forever Program is central to these efforts, focusing on conserving land for environmental protection, recreation, and resilience against storms. Since 2019, more than $1.4 billion has been committed to Florida Forever, with $950 million allocated specifically to the Florida Wildlife Corridor. This funding has allowed DEP to acquire over 374,000 acres for conservation since 2019, with 91% of those acres within the corridor.
More information about the Florida Forever Program is available at FloridaForever.org.
