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TALLAHASSEE— Governor Crist and Cabinet today approved the purchase of 54.74
acres of land adjacent to the Natural Bridge Historic State Park in Leon County.
The acquired parcel is significant to the protection of a first magnitude spring
and features a Civil War battlefield.
“This important purchase is a part of the Florida First Magnitude Springs
project and one of the top projects on the Florida Forever priority list,” said
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Deputy Secretary Bob
Ballard. “This acquisition ensures that the geological, historical and cultural
integrity of this property and the surrounding water resources are preserved for
Floridians and visitors from all over the world to enjoy for years to come.”
This Florida Forever project focuses on land that provides increased
protection for Florida’s First Magnitude Springs that discharge more than 100
cubic feet of water per second. Florida’s springs, scattered through northern
and central Florida, draw from the Floridan aquifer system, which is the state’s
primary source of drinking water. Springs, with clear, continuously flowing
waters, are among the state’s most important natural resources and are famous
attractions. This acquisition brings the Florida First Magnitude Springs project
closer to completion, with 7,844 acres of the 14,081 acre project remaining.
The property contains many karst features such as sink holes, natural
bridges, swallets, karst windows and submerged cave systems. By preserving the
surrounding land, this project will preserve the area’s geological significance
and protect Florida’s water resources from the effects of commercial,
residential and agricultural runoff and other potential impacts.
The property is also the site of Florida’s second largest Civil War battle.
It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and cited as one of the
top ten endangered Civil War sites in the United States by the Civil War
Preservation Trust. In 1865, during the final week of the Civil War, the battle
at natural bridge preserved Tallahassee as the only Confederate Capitol east of
the Mississippi that did not surrender to Union forces. Today, important
historical and cultural, resources can be found on the property dating from the
Paleo-Indian period (10,000 B.C.) to the Civil War. The property will eventually
be managed by DEP’s Division of Recreation and Parks as part of the Natural
Bridge Historic State Park.
Originally established in 1999, the 10-year, $3 billion Florida Forever
program is the largest land-buying initiative in the nation, conserving
environmentally sensitive land, restoring water resources and preserving
important cultural and historical sites. More than two million acres throughout
the state have been placed in public ownership under Florida Forever and its
predecessor program, Preservation 2000 (P2000). For more information on the
Florida Forever program, visit
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/acquisition/FloridaForever/.
To view maps that outline the subject parcel in this purchase, visit the
following links:
www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2008/11/files/
rakestraw_springs76.pdf
www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2008/11/files/
rakestraw_springs77.pdf | 
