Alachua Conservation Trust brings landowners closer to achieving conservation dreams

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Land Trust Alliance, its staff, its board of directors or any other individuals associated with the organization.

Lanie Carter fondly recalls hunting with her grandfather, dad and brothers on 40 acres of forested land in Levy County. Now, some 25 years later, she’s responsible for stewarding its future. Part of her plan includes taking advantage of Alachua Conservation Trust’s Forest to Gulf, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, to make her dreams a reality.

“My goal with this property is to establish Longleaf Pine and enhance the wildlife habitat, which will include several steps beyond planting the trees. The land management practices call for creating firebreaks, prescribed burning and herbaceous weed treatment,” said Carter.

“Ultimately, I‘d like to see the property protected from development forever through a conservation easement, but we are starting with the restoration. It’s a special place for my family and me. I am grateful for programs like RCPP and others, which are making conservation best practices and land protection more accessible.”

Carter is one of two dozen landowners who successfully applied to the initial land trust-facilitated enrollment for a novel program that provides funding to private landowners for forest and fire management practices. This cost-share program is an outgrowth of Alachua Conservation Trust’s partnerships with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Through the NRCS, RCPP brings together federal and non-federal partners to deliver conservation in a specific region for specific conservation goals. As the lead RCPP partner, the land trust brings NRCS funding opportunities to landowners like Carter, who manage their lands for wildlife habitats and natural resource protection. Unlike other cost-share programs, Alachua Conservation Trust’s RCPP assistance is available to properties of all sizes and targets conservation practices that restore and maintain natural lands, as well as working forests.

The land trust currently leads two active RCPP programs. The Forest to Gulf RCPP promotes land protection and fire management for improved habitat and landscape connectivity in a five-county area. The other, Surface to Springs, aims to benefit wildlife, improve habitat, and protect the Suwannee and Santa Fe River watersheds.

Each RCPP brings financial and technical assistance to its respective region to leverage existing land protection programs and offer options for land management. The RCPPs also provide NRCS funding to help purchase conservation easements in conjunction with state and local conservation programs. This led to nearly 8,500 acres of newly protected land in 2025. RCPP is a five-year program, and Alachua Conservation Trust expects increasing landowner demand for RCPP conservation programs over time.