How does the EEL Program acquire land?
The EEL Program is a ‘willing-seller’ program, which means it can only purchase property from people who want to sell their land. The EEL Program does not control or restrict private land rights, or condemn land. Most of the land the EEL Program has in conservation was purchased in partnership with the State of Florida. In 1990, the State passed a landmark legislation called Preservation 2000, or P-2000, which provided for $3 billion over 10 years for the acquisition of conservation lands throughout Florida. In 2000 the legislature passed the Florida Forever Act, which picked up where Preservation 2000 left off and provided for another $3 billion over the next ten years. Many other local governments in the state have also passed land acquisition referendum and look to the State’s P-2000 and Florida Forever funding to match their locally approved funds for land acquisition. The EEL Program partners with other land conservation programs to purchase lands. These include the St. Johns Rive
