Santa Rosa BOCC Approves New Conservation Easement Program

Santa Rosa County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County approved a new farmland protection program Thursday. The Legacy Land Protection Program will use conservation easements to permanently protect agricultural land from development. Under the voluntary program, landowners can sell their development rights to the county for cash while keeping ownership of their property. The land can still be used for farming, ranching, or timber, but residential or commercial development would be permanently prohibited. The county already has applications for about ten-thousand acres. Officials estimate they'll need fifty million dollars to meet demand. The county currently has two million dollars allocated and is considering a sales tax referendum to fund the full program. The easements would be permanent and could never be reversed.