North Florida Land Trust was chosen to receive the Environmental Stewardship Award from the Northeast Florida Regional Council. The award was presented to NFLT President Jim McCarthy and Associate Land Protection Director Rebecca Perry during the Regional Awards for Excellence ceremony at WJCT studios.

The Regional Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship is given each year to an individual or organization who focuses on long-term protection, conservation and enhancement of Northeast Florida’s natural resources. NFLT was chosen for the work they have been doing in the Ocala to Osceola, or O2O, wildlife corridor, specifically the more than 2,500 acres they protected through the acquisition of two conservation easements.

NFLT also recently took possession of 2,300 acres located near Lawtey that connects Camp Blanding to Jennings State Forest. The properties are also within the O2O wildlife corridor; a critical wildlife corridor that stretches from the Ocala National Forest to the Osceola National Forest. The O2O corridor provides an important habitat for the Florida Black Bear and endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker, indigo snakes and gopher tortoises. There are numerous imperiled species, and rare habitats within the O2O.

NFLT is leading the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) Wildlife Corridor Partnership, a partnership of public and private organizations striving to improve land management and conservation within the O2O. The 80,000-acre Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is central to the O2O landscape and partnership.

The Northeast Florida Regional Council is a network of local governance that serves Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Putnam, Nassau and St. Johns counties. It was established to promote area-wide coordination and cooperative activities of federal, state and local governments. Its mission is to engage people, businesses, governments and organizations to communicate issues, convene stakeholders, collaborate with others, calculate and analyze, and construct solutions. Each year, they honor elected officials and organizations who make Northeast Florida a great place to live and work.