Alachua Conservation Trust Inc

“Act's board of directors will receive the draft irs form 990 and draft annual audit document via email at least one week in advance of the first board meeting following completion of the draft audit and irs form 990. Both draft documents will then be fully reviewed (preferably with the auditor in attendance) and any questions regarding the draft documents will be asked of the auditor and staff at the first regular board meeting after such drafts are completed and circulated. Board members will thereafter vote to approve acceptance of both draft documents prior to finalization of the annual audit and submission of the approved irs form 990. If such vote must be conducted via email, unanimous review & consent is required by all board members”

“It is incumbent upon act's board members to self-disclose contemporaneously should they feel that any personal/business relationship or specialized knowledge/information of an act program or acquisition project they have might possibly present a conflict of interest. This may be done privately with staff in advance of a board meeting at which the issue would come up for a vote, or at the meeting itself, and the expectation is that that board member will abstain from voting on the issue. Also, staff circulates the governance questionnaire to all board members annually, at which time they may document any potential conflicts of interest.”

“Board members are not compensated. Board members evalutate comps and determine the salary & benefits of the executive director annually. The executive director determines the compensation rates of all other staff members annually based on performance and comps.”

“These documents are made available upon request.”

“The mission of alachua conservation trust (act) is to protect the natural, historic, scenic and recreational resources in and around alachua county, florida. Act protects land through purchase, donation, and conservation easements.”

“Land protection: in 2024, act continued its robust land protection efforts. In january 2024, act closed on a first of its kind project with watson farm, where the landowner agreed to place a conservation easement on the property as well as reduce agricultural impacts to the land through a de-intensification schedule over the next ten years. Act also transferred 289 acres adjacent to manatee springs to the florida division of state lands expanding the state park boundary and protecting land above the manatee springs cave system. Act's ongoing partnership with alachua county forever through the wild spaces & public places (wspp) program led to the protection of 614 acres through a conservation easement in january as well as an additional 478 acres in land protection from january through march. In june, act accepted the donation of 420 acres in madison county, which act will continue to manage long-term through prescribed fire and other techniques. Act also closed on a 261-acre tract in july along the northern portion of orange lake in alachua county further expanding efforts to protect land in the orange lake corridor, which includes other act-held nature preserves. This new addition will support water-based recreation along the lake. Throughout 2024, act facilitated several conservation projects for the state of florida through its florida forever program, including 290 acres in levy county in the watermelon pond conservation area, a 200-acre conservation easement in union county, a 1,500-acre conservation easement in columbia county, and a 538-acre conservation easement in gilchrist county. In august, act received a donated conservation easement on 55 acres nearby to its existing fox pen preserve. Through its partnership with alachua county forever, act staff assisted with a 120-acre acquisition in an area of high conservation priority known as lochloosa slough as well as a 40-acre conservation easement in the watermelon pond conservation area in september. At the end of 2024, act received several conservation easement donations including 26-acres within the ocala national forest in marion county, 22 acres in alachua county, and 94-acres in levy county which will provide for the perpetual protection of piney prairie. Act also continued to work with agricultural producers to protect their land through numerous state and federal programs including the usda-nrcs regional conservation partnership program, usda-nrcs acep-ale program, and the florida department of agriculture and consumer services rural and family lands protection program (rflpp).”

“Property management: act actively manages eighteen major preserves along with several smaller conservation properties across north central florida. Act's land management activities include forest, groundcover, and wetlands restoration, creating and maintaining public trails and informational kiosks, the application of prescribed fire, and exotic plant species control. Act benefits from the use of volunteers from the university of florida, santa fe college, alachua audubon, emory university alumni, local businesses, and the community at large to help complete these management activities alongside staff. Act's women in the woods resource management internship program, which is specifically tailored for young women (but also includes young men) in an effort to improve their hiring prospects in this traditionally male-oriented conservation career path, served 23 young women and young men over the spring, summer, and fall semesters in 2024. In total, the program has served more than 138 young women and men since it began in 2017. In total, 330 interns and volunteers contributed 10,360 hours of service to the organization in 2024. The annual tree fest event organized by swamp head brewery & solar impact, inc. Raised additional funds in 2024 to plant 127,536 trees at act's little orange creek preserve. Act utilized prescribed fires to burn hundreds of acres in furtherance of its long-term habitat restoration goals, and installed additional ada accessible trails & boardwalks at several act preserves as well as other amenities to enhance recreational enjoyment for the general public from all across north central florida.”

“Education and outreach: act was able to host numerous educational and outreach workshops at its preserves. Those events focused on volunteer engagement, preserve clean-ups, family-fun environmental days, and conservation activities to support the organization's mission and goals. For many of these, act partnered with state and local agencies, individuals, and other local nonprofits. Act also launched its preserve accessibility program in late 2024 debuting a new ecorover, designed to provide individuals with mobility limitations a fun and safe way to experience nature with their friends and family. Act's creek program, which provides no-cost experiential environmental education to students from under-served schools in alachua and putnam counties, served 1,730 students in 2024 resulting in 6,920 hours of programming across 19 schools and camp partners. Throughout the year, act continued its traditional outreach via its print newsletter, the gazetteer, and maintained a comprehensive website, which was updated significantly in 2024. Act also relied heavily on its social media channels and regular monthly emails, field notes, to provide educational content to the public and promote acts mission and work. These channels reached over 21,000 subscribers in 2024 on such topics as ecology, wildlife, climate resiliency, organizational activities, staff notes from the field, natural history, and opportuntiites and tools for landowners to conserve their land. Act hosted the annual conservation stewards awards event, which was attended by more than 550 people at act's prairie creek lodge.”