Florida approves $12.9m easement to protect 5,610 acres of family ranch

A 5,610-acre stretch of a multigenerational Florida ranch will remain protected from future development after state officials approved a $12.9 million conservation easement. Details from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Florida Department of Environmental Protection records and the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation show the agreement will preserve Hendrie Ranch while allowing its agricultural operations to continue. The Hendrie Ranch easement was approved by Florida’s Governor and Cabinet on December 17, 2024, as part of the state’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The protected parcel covers approximately 5,610.26 acres in Highlands County, along U.S. Highway 27 near Venus, with the state paying $12.9 million for the conservation easement. State records put the purchase price at about $2,300 per acre. The arrangement does not turn the ranch into a public preserve or end its agricultural use.