Attention local farmers, ranchers, and those with a stake in St. Johns County's agricultural future: it's time to consider preserving your lands. As reported by St. Johns County's official website, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) application window is now open, providing an opportunity to secure the future of your working lands. This program, administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), aims to protect farmlands from the encroachment of non-agricultural development.
Applications started being accepted yesterday, and will continue to strictly be open until January 23, 2026. Established in 2001, the RFLPP has already preserved over 222,000 acres of agricultural land throughout Florida. Besides protecting these lands, the program supports sustainable farming by creating easements designed to complement active agriculture, as stated on the St. Johns County website. Priority will be given to lands that serve public purposes like wildlife habitat enhancement, water resource protection, open space preservation, and preventing land conversion to non-agricultural uses.
To be eligible, landowners must be engaged in viable agricultural operations, meeting at least one public purpose criterion listed by the RFLPP. The program, through a technical review and a selection committee, evaluates and ranks projects, with the final say coming from the Governor and Cabinet. This process ensures that only the most critical lands are preserved. Benefits for participating landowners include the ability to maintain agricultural operations, keep lands tax-active, and receive financial compensation for development rights.
For those wishing to apply, the process starts online at the application portal where new applicants must set up an account, as advised on the county's webpage. Applicants from the previous year's ranked list need to log in and update their existing applications. In a move to personalize applications, FDACS is also allowing, though not requiring, participants to submit a brief 90-second video detailing their property and personal story.
