Family legacies honored through three land conservation projects
Press release from Alachua County
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Alachua County Forever, the county’s environmental land acquisition program, closed on the purchase of three properties in key conservation corridors in recent months.
While the three properties are in different areas of the county, they are united by their important conservation locations and the desire of the landowners to honor their families through the protection of the land and its natural values.
Each property was inherited by the landowners, who then chose to take a piece of their family legacy and help build a brighter future for Alachua County through conservation.
In the Watermelon Pond Area, Bif Sheffield chose to work with Alachua County to protect lands that his parents, Gail and Felton Sheffield Jr., had owned, to honor their memory. The Sheffield property, located in the county’s biodiversity hotspot in Watermelon Pond, protects rare sandhill habitats and expands one of the highest-priority conservation projects. This 40-acre property is adjacent to existing portions of the county’s Watermelon Pond Preserve and provides for expanded aquifer recharge and habitat for threatened and endangered species. The property was acquired with $316,736 of Wild Spaces and Public Places (WSPP) funds.
North of Hawthorne, the Sherouse family partnered with the County to protect 148 acres of diverse forest and wetlands at the headwaters of Little Orange Creek. At the closing, family members shared their memories of childhood adventures with their parents, exploring this special land and how meaningful it was to be able to protect those memories and conserve the property for future generations. The property was acquired with $408,779.25 of WSPP funds.
In the Waldo and Lake Alto area, the Winchester family prioritized the conservation of their 41-acre property over other options, knowing it was in a key location and an important part of Alachua County’s efforts to protect connected habitats that contribute to local and statewide conservation goals. This property expands Alachua County’s Lake Alto Preserve and the protected lands within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The property was acquired with $74,280.60 of WSPP funds.
The voter-approved WSPP sales tax provided $799,795.85 for the protection of these 229 acres of environmentally significant lands.
Alachua County Forever has protected five conservation land acquisitions so far in 2024. Through ongoing citizen support and partnerships, the program has worked with willing landowners to protect 34,506 acres since its inception in 2000.
Learn more about the county’s conservation efforts and WSPP.
Those legacies sure are costing a lot in taxes – both near term and long term.
I think it has more to do with some being taxed out of their families’ properties.
It resembles what’s happening to many people’s homes who live in the high risk coastal areas. Wealthy developers are going in and “helping” those who’ve been decimated by storms, they can’t afford to rebuild and the value is in the dirt…or in most cases, the sand.
Why would someone downvote this comment? If you don’t think it’s true then talk to the people in Dixie County who lost everything due to the hurricanes.
This article is not about FL in general, or even about the ridiculous high taxes in Alachua County/GNV. It is bragging on the over payments the county likes to make when wasting our tax money. And most Floridians have little concern about the rich people living in the ritzy condos on what would otherwise very nice beaches, IMO.
Supposedly conservationists say increasing preservation lands increases the value of adjacent residences. Think of it as living in the city next to a nice park. In theory the added value reaps extra tax revenues in perpetuity. I imagine a research paper has been done to show this.
It’s a win-win for all, we hope.
Noone is questioning the increase in value – of course it does. As you mentioned, taxes do go up. Have you gotten your TRIM Notice?
Who’s left paying those increased taxable values to adjoining preservation properties? Here’s a clue…it ain’t the County.
In many cases it’s a win/loss. I guess it depends on what side of the fence you live on.
A real interesting investigation would be to search any attempted sales histories for the properties being purchased. Were they on the market and lacked interest due to County or even State restrictions? Kind of the way the proposed Alachua property is facing.
According to the Prop App website, the Winchester property’s estimated tax was $230.
PS These are typically not marketable properties. The Winchester land is listed as “Swamp” on the county appraiser’s page. The county has an interest in them for conservation and protection of resources, as well as connectivity of adjacent and near public lands, but hardly anyone else would.
Thanks for confirming.
“Bio-diversity HOT SPOT!” Jeeze.
If you haven’t hiked the Watermelon Pond area – start at the Goethe State Forest entrance on it’s west side – I would suggest you try it on a sunny, cool to cold day – and maybe you’ll get it. It is a fabulously beautiful place with a mixture of long leaf pine forest, hardwood hammock, sandy lake edges, and long vistas across lake/prairies. Really, it is very nice.