North Florida Land Trust encourages Landowners in the O2O and C2C to Apply for Financial Assistance Programs

Applications will be accepted now until July 31 for land management opportunities for landowners within the O2O Wildlife Corridor extending to the Atlantic Coast

Jacksonville, Fla., June 30, 2025 – North Florida Land Trust (NFLT), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), is encouraging landowners within the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor, or O2O, and within the Corridor to Coast, or C2C, area to apply for federal financial assistance through Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Land Management (LM) programs. Agricultural landowners within the boundaries could receive help with restoration and land management practices, including prescribed burning, forest stand improvement, conservation cover, and more. Approximately $1.7 million is available through the RCPP O2O and C2C programs.

“Land management is not always easy, and this program will provide landowners with a little help to do things they may already be doing to ensure the land remains a natural resource and thriving habitat for plants and wildlife,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. “We will be holding workshops to help explain the process and to help landowners apply. We encourage landowners within the O2O and C2C to join us.”

The RCPP LM program is accepting applications through July 31. The O2O is a 1.6-million-acre network of public and private lands that stretches 100 miles and connects the Ocala and Osceola National Forests. The C2C is an expansion of the O2O and extends through Northeast and Central Florida to the East Coast. Landowners within or touching the O2O or the C2C boundary could be eligible for financial assistance to address natural resource challenges. The counties included in the project areas are portions of Baker, Bradford, Clay, Hamilton, Lake, Marion, Putnam, Union and Volusia counties, and all of Duval, Flagler, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. To be eligible, landowners must have a farm record with the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

NFLT will hold workshops to help landowners navigate the application process, and an FSA representative will be present. There will be morning and afternoon sessions. The first of two workshops will be held on Wednesday, July 16, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Clay County UF IFAS Extension Office, 2463 FL-16, Green Cove Springs, FL, 32043. The second of two will be held in Flagler County on Thursday, July 17, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the UF IFAS Extension Office, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell, FL, 32110.  Interested landowners should contact NFLT at 904-557-7985 or email kneighbor@nflt.org.

NFLT and NRCS are interested in addressing concerns in the O2O, including degraded plant conditions, fire management, source water depletion, terrestrial habitat, and weather resilience. In the C2C, the priorities are focused on degraded plant conditions, field sediment or nutrient pathogen loss, fire management, pest pressure, soil quality limitations, terrestrial habitat and wind-water erosion.

The RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural and natural lands. It brings together local, state, and federal financial landowner assistance programs for private landowners to manage land that protects natural resources and wildlife. The program further enhances conservation goals and addresses on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns.

NFLT is leading both the O2O and C2C partnerships, which protect and improve land within these areas, which serve as natural buffers and provide habitats for many wildlife species. The natural land helps protect against flooding by providing storage. It decreases the potential for soil erosion and pollution from fertilizers, insecticides, oil, grease, and other human-made and natural pollutants that can enter water sources through runoff, drainage, seepage, or precipitation. Preserving these water-abundant landscapes is critical for protecting the region from sea level rise, erosion, and increased rainfall.

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About North Florida Land Trust

North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of life by protecting North Florida's irreplaceable natural environment. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through the donation or purchase of land, as well as conservation easements. NFLT is primarily funded by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit nflt.org.