Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) has been awarded $35,000 by the Conservation Alliance to kickstart efforts for new acquisition projects along the Santa Fe River. Alachua Conservation Trust is already working on these land protection efforts and has just launched their fundraising campaign for The Santa Fe Springs Project. The Santa Fe Springs Project will work to permanently protect 254-acres, 0.7 river miles, and two freshwater springs, and, if acquired, will be a free public preserve.
“For three decades Alachua Conservation Trust has been working to protect the Santa Fe River through conservation easements, land acquisitions, and incredible efforts like the Santa Fe Springs Project. We are thrilled to be awarded this grant to aid our conservation efforts on the Santa Fe Springs Project. Successfully raising the funds to protect this resource will help ensure regional water quality and continue our community’s momentum to protect the watershed as a whole,” said ACT’s Santa Fe River Basin Project Coordinator, Melissa Hill.
The Santa Fe Springs Project is part of a much broader effort being undertaken by Alachua Conservation Trust to protect the entire watershed surrounding the Santa Fe River and its tributaries. Current efforts by the nonprofit land trust in the Santa Fe River Basin include coordinating a regional partnership with other agencies and working with private property owners to discuss the option of conservation easements, a voluntary tool landowners can use to protect the conservation value of their property forever. Past successes by the nonprofit land trust include the Santa Fe River Preserve, a 900 plus acre property directly on the Santa Fe River near Worthington Springs, FL.
Anyone interested in donating to ensure the success of this project please visit www.AlachuaConservationTrust.org or call (352)373-1078.
