Santa Rosa Legacy Lands Program Draws 23 Applications in First Three Days — New Zoning Classification Proposed

Santa Rosa County, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County's Agriculture Legacy Lands Protection Program opened for applications July 1st — and Commissioner Rhett Rowell says the early response has been stronger than expected, with 23 applications submitted in just three days despite the office being closed July 3rd for the holiday.

Rowell announced the numbers at Tuesday's committee meeting, saying applications ranged from parcels of 600-plus acres down to smaller tracts of 10 to 20 acres. The breadth of interest across property sizes suggests the program is drawing in landowners who might not have been expected to participate, not just large timber operations.

The Legacy Lands Protection Program is a voluntary conservation initiative the board established to give rural landowners options for preserving their property from development. Participating landowners receive compensation in exchange for agreeing to restrict development on their land. The county has set aside more than $2 million over three years to fund the program, and those dollars can be used to leverage additional state and federal matching grants.

Rowell also proposed Tuesday that the board consider creating a new Agricultural Legacy Zoning classification of one dwelling unit per 30 acres — a voluntary option that would give landowners currently zoned at one dwelling unit per 15 acres a clear, codified pathway to further protect their land as part of the program. Rowell said no one would be required to down-zone and that the classification would only apply if a landowner voluntarily chose to participate in the Legacy Lands program.

The practical benefit, Rowell explained, is twofold. First, it gives landowners a clear direction rather than leaving conservation easement conversations open-ended and subjective. Second, having more participants in the program strengthens the county's applications for state and federal conservation grants — the more acreage enrolled, the more leverage Santa Rosa has when competing for outside dollars.

Commissioner Bobby Burkett raised a mild concern about adding another layer of government classification but said he's generally supportive if landowners want it. Commissioner Smith said he sees it as giving landowners additional choices rather than adding red tape and expressed comfort with directing staff to work through what the zoning classification would look like before bringing it back for a formal vote. The board indicated general support without opposition.

Rowell said the program's strong early response reflects genuine interest from landowners who want to keep their land in agricultural use and pass it on to future generations. He noted the program is completely different from government land acquisition — the county is not trying to buy land, only to give private landowners tools to protect it themselves on a voluntary basis.

The application window for the current cycle runs 30 days from July 1st. Landowners interested in participating can contact the Santa Rosa County Economic Development office for information.