TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the results of the most recent application cycle for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP), which generated a record number of applications from agricultural landowners to permanently preserve their land from development. In total, more than 500 applications were submitted by Florida landowners, representing over 600,000 acres at an estimated value of over $2.1 billion. The number of applications for conservation funding has grown by over 90% since the 2023 RFLPP application cycle.

"Florida's working agricultural lands are under increasing pressure from development, and this record-breaking application cycle shows that farmers and ranchers, when given the opportunity, want to preserve their land and way of life," said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. "Florida agriculture is worth defending, and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program gives our farmers and ranchers a viable path to keep their land protected and productive for generations to come."

The department will now review the submitted applications for eligibility and create a ranked list of projects that will be submitted for final approval to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (Governor and Cabinet).

RFLPP recognizes that agricultural lands are increasingly threatened by urban development and that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida's economic future. To counter this trend, the program partners with farmers and ranchers through rural lands protection easements to preserve working agricultural operations. Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agricultural operations to continue contributing to Florida's economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the state's prosperity. Additionally, by purchasing development rights through a rural lands protection easement, the program does not impose an additional burden on the taxpayer by having to maintain state-owned lands.

Established in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program has successfully preserved approximately 224,000 acres of working agricultural land, with approximately 158,000 acres preserved during Commissioner Simpson's administration. Since 2022, Commissioner Simpson has helped to secure more than $700 million in state funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, including $250 million in the 2025/2026 state budget.

Commissioner Simpson has been involved in Florida's land conservation policy issues long before becoming Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson championed the successful passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which directed the state of Florida to better protect and connect Florida's natural areas and wildlife habitats and to preserve working agricultural lands from future development.

A story map of all completed Rural and Family Lands Protection Program projects can be viewed here: FDACS.gov/RFLPPMap.

For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.

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