Preserving Native Florida: A Conversation with Traci Deen

Join us on this episode as Amanda Perry Carl chats with Traci Deen, CEO and President of Conservation Florida!  You will hear about Traci's passion for native Florida, the tools that Conservation Florida is using to conserve our beautiful native Florida, and so much more.

If you want to learn more about Conservation Florida and how you can help with their conservation efforts, click here Conservation Florida

Transcript

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Amanda Perry Carl 0:18

Welcome to the Legal Field Podcast, where we discuss legal and regulatory topics that are of critical importance to the agriculture industry. My name is Amanda Perry Carl, and I am an agricultural lawyer whose family has been farming in Florida since 1823, before Florida even became a state. I have spent almost 20 years as an attorney in the agricultural industry and have made it my mission to ensure that everyone in our incredible industry understands the legal and regulatory issues that we face so that we can keep feeding Florida, America, and the world. So if you're a farmer, rancher, or grower, if you are involved in raising cattle, sheep, poultry, goats, hogs, horses, or other livestock. If you grow fruits, vegetables, or sod, if you are involved with the aquaculture, turf grass, or horticulture industries, if you are fighting the good fight to help our citrus industry survive, or if you just like to eat and you appreciate our ag producers, this podcast is for you. If you are interested in protecting and preserving our agricultural heritage, lands, and way of life, then come join us in the legal field and see what's growing on. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Legal Field Podcast. My name is Amanda Perry-Carl, and I am the host of the podcast. And I am so excited today to welcome my friend Tracy Dean, who is the president and CEO of Conservation Florida, and a very important note, a sixth generation Floridian. So welcome, Tracy. Hi, thanks, Amanda. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to have you on the podcast today, A, because you're awesome, and B, because we get to talk about some of my favorite things, and I know your favorite things today, Florida and conservation. Um, I would like for you to give our listeners a little bit of information on your background. Um, for our listeners, Tracy is also a lawyer, and we came to know each other here in the Central Florida legal community. So if you could give our listeners a little background on your career path and how you ended up at Conservation Florida.

Traci Deen 2:24

It's true. I'm a fellow lawyer, uh, but I am so lucky because I get to practice doing something that I love every single day. And at Conservation Florida, one of our biggest tools in our toolbox to protect land is a conservation easement. And so as an attorney, I'm able to work with landowners across the state uh through conservation Florida and bring really cool conservation deals to the table uh through a variety of programs and at our nonprofit at Conservation Florida. So my background, uh, I actually started at the public defender's office, really getting uh trial work uh under my belt, absolutely loved it. But at the end of the day, uh I sat with some mentors and the question kept coming back up. You know, what what drives you? What do you love? What's going to make you happy? Um, what do you want to do with your life? Those are big questions for a 20-something, but time and again it came back to this feeling that I love this place we call home. And uh in law school, I did focus a lot on the environment. And so uh in those discussions with uh my family and my mentors, I, you know, the thought of protecting Florida, wild Florida, agricultural landscapes really resonated uh with me. This job opened up uh and a mentor, actually, a fellow uh lawyer, uh, recommended that I throw my name in the hat. And that was, oh gosh, like eight or nine years ago now. Uh it was the best thing I ever did, and it's been a truly wild ride. But I I'm so lucky to get to do this.

Amanda Perry Carl 4:09

And I think your career path and where you are now is a good testament to anybody who wants to go to law school or is in law school or is just starting out their practice of there's so many things you can do with your JD and to do what drives you and what your passion is, um, because you're going to be so much better at it and enjoy your life and enjoy what you're doing and who you represent.

Traci Deen 4:32

Yeah, I I couldn't agree with you more. Um I think it's also really important to cut your teeth a bit in the courtroom. Uh, but beyond that, when when you do uh sort of get your feet on the ground as a young lawyer, asking yourself those important questions, really important.

Amanda Perry Carl 4:50

Absolutely. And you mentioned, you know, your love and your passion, your desire to protect this wonderful state of ours. Um, you know, as a sixth generation Floridian, um, you know, you have you you have that passion and that uh rooting here in Florida, and you've been here your whole life. My family's also been here since the early 1800s. So I think that gives us a very unique perspective on this state and what it has looked like in the past and kind of what we're we're seeing now and the real importance of preserving and conserving some of her beauty and waters and the wildlife corridors and so many other things. So I appreciate everything that you guys do at Conservation Florida. Thank you, Amanda.

Traci Deen 5:33

And you're absolutely right. You know, I do think it gives some context and a deep appreciation for the changes that we're seeing being a multi-generational Floridian. But I think, you know, any Floridian um is really picking up on the rapid, rapid changes we're seeing in our communities. You know, a first generation Floridian, someone who's only moved here a few months ago, they're already noticing that that forest that they've driven by, you know, to work every single day, uh one day is gone. And it's heartbreaking. Um, but you know, in it this this state in particular, we're we're growing really fast, uh probably by about a thousand to twelve hundred people a day, which to put into context is a city the size of Orlando moving to Florida every single year, which is bananas. Um and so I think for context purposes, you know, my in my grandfather's lifetime, in his one lifetime, our state grew from about two million people to 23 million people. And we're not slowing down anytime soon. And so, yeah, I mean, definitely being being multi-generational provides a lot of context and definitely uh uh an appreciation for the changes we're seeing. But there's no doubt that if you look around you at all in our state and in just about every corner now, things are changing and not always, you know, for the better.

Amanda Perry Carl 7:07

I don't know if you remember, but I always think about those commercials in the 80s and 90s land. They don't make it anymore. And in, you know, it's so true. Um, we have just recently, in the last week, in our little stretch of you know, Osteen, Florida, and 415, the highway that goes through here and basically separates Osteen from the city of Deltona, we have seen two sandhill cranes killed on 415 in the last week. My heart to see that yeah, you have these animals who don't necessarily have you know places to go and they've got these busy intersections that were there before. So it's definitely changing all around us.

Traci Deen 7:44

And I think for for for that species in particular, because they meet for life, it's just extra heartbreaking knowing that they've left behind more likely than not a partner that's going to mourn them. And uh I think it's just a really poignant reminder, at least for for me, and and it sounds like for you too, and and probably for you know our listeners, that um those moments where you see uh the collision between wild Florida and a growing Florida and the cost of that are just really powerful.

Amanda Perry Carl 8:15

Absolutely. It really, it really is. And that's why it's so important what you guys are doing at Conservation Florida um to help preserve this wild Florida. And I love that so much. Can you tell our listeners a little bit kind of about how Conservation Florida got its start and what you guys do, some of the specifics of what you guys do to help preserve and conserve Florida?

Traci Deen 8:38

Absolutely. So Conservation Florida was founded back in 1999 uh by uh a group of really passionate Floridians in north central Florida who recognized the need for a land conservancy that would focus on landscape-scale conservation and agricultural landscapes. Uh, because we were founded uh with not only a deep love of home and Florida, but also uh with the acknowledgement that we have to use science to guide our land conservation uh priorities. We focus on those, typically on those larger landscapes and what are called wildlife corridors throughout our state. And that's in order to protect our wide-roaming species like the Florida Panther, Florida Black Bear. Um, but in doing so, we also are able to protect water and habitat for our tiniest species as well. What our founders and scientists recognized, uh, gosh, about 30 years ago now, is that agricultural landscapes in the state of Florida are some of the last vast green landscapes. And that was three decades ago. Uh, today that couldn't be more true. Uh, there is a wildlife corridor spanning the state of Florida, uh, from Georgia, the panhandle, all the way down to the Everglades. Uh, it's like a green highway uh that spans our state, and it's what wildlife use to travel, to roam. Uh, but that green space is also what maintains clean freshwater, our air quality, uh, habitat, and so much more. What the data shows is that what's left of that green highway, of that wildlife corridor, the majority of it is agricultural land. And so making sure that there was a land conservancy that didn't just focus on, you know, large landscapes, but also understood the connection between conservation and agriculture in the state of Florida was really important to our founders. Uh fast forward uh from 1999, here we are. And we are working in and around the state of Florida from Pensacola down to the Keys to protect our water, our wildlife, and our wild places. And that means working with landowners. That means working with donors and supporters, corporate partners, artists, policy makers, and all sorts of Floridians in between. At Conservation Florida, we believe in building a big table for conservation because conservation is a Floridian matter. Uh, it's something that Floridians overwhelmingly support and believe in and connect with. And so that's what we're working on every single day to protect this place we call home.

Amanda Perry Carl 11:39

And I love so much the work that you guys do within the agricultural industry, especially your partnerships with the Florida Cattlemen's Association and working so closely with them and understanding the importance of those lands, because as you said, those lands are so critical to our wildlife corridors. Those are some of the last large green spaces. And so I love the relationship that Conservation of Florida has with groups like the Florida Cattlemen's Association so that everyone can work together. Because, as you said, this is a Floridian goal. Um, you know, this is critical for all of us that live here. It's not just a, you know, this group, that group, this political group, that political group. It affects all of us, um, all of us in Florida. You talked a little bit about assisting landowners. Uh, do you guys come in and and partner with landowners to help them perhaps with conservation easements or some of those things? Absolutely.

Traci Deen 12:33

And so there are many paths to protection for properties. Uh we work directly with landowners and we get to know them, their goals, their property. We get to know their families, their their legacy, what they want their future legacy to be. Uh, and we really aim to pair the property up with a path to protection that works best for all involved, including the wild critters and plants that live on those properties. With all of that in mind, uh, we do our best to pair properties up with either funding mechanisms at the state, local, or federal level, or uh some families opt for a more charitable uh path, uh in which case a land trust is super uh uh is a is a great tool. And at Conservation Florida, uh we do. We we purchase conservation easements, we accept donated easements, uh, we work directly with landowners to help facilitate deals at the state level, at the federal level, and we're only able to do that because of the landowners that are interested in conserving their land in perpetuity and because of the many funding partners at those uh government and philanthrop philanthropic um arenas that make this work possible.

Amanda Perry Carl 14:00

And I think this information is so important for so many of our listeners to hear, especially farmers and ranchers throughout the state, because as you know, there's this pressure that that development can bring. Um, you know, that that we've got high prices of input in agriculture right now. We've got a lot of a lot of things that make agriculture difficult, maybe not cost effective. And maybe a developer comes in and offers money, and it's sometimes really hard to turn that down. But knowing that Conservation Florida is there to help work with these landowners is so important because there are options.

Traci Deen 14:40

There are, there are, and and you're absolutely right. You know, accepting an offer to sell your property, I mean, uh, it can be very attractive. Uh, but I do I want to reiterate what you said that there are options and that if there is a landowner listening who uh is you know confronted with a big decision like that and wants to know what paths are available to them, conservation Florida or one of our partners, we'd love to connect you with a partner if it's more appropriate, would be it would be our honor to evaluate the property, learn about your goals, and show you what could be done as an alternative. And look, conservation Florida, we're not anti-development, we're not anti-growth. But what we are is protect is we are pro-protecting our special places and protecting what makes Florida so special. And part of that is going to be protecting our agricultural landscapes in addition to our wild landscapes. There are, there are properties left throughout our state that are critical for protection for Florida's long-term health. And if you're a landowner and you're listening and you think, oh my gosh, I've I've got a property and I know for a fact there's a spring on it, or I have a property and it's adjacent to a state park, and I know it's a connector piece and in the corridor system. If you're thinking to yourself, I just don't want to see this property as anything other than what I've known while I've owned it, then we're here to help. We're here to listen and we're here to help you find a solution that achieves your goals.

Amanda Perry Carl 16:26

That is so amazing and so amazing for our state. You know, you guys have a property here in Osteen in my town, D Ranch, and we love it here locally. Um, in fact, our church just did a hike out there a few weeks ago. Oh, we love it after church. Um, we love going out to D Ranch, and it's great to see that property right here in our community, you know, that is being conserved and is also available for um public use, but that is being conserved right here in our community. So we love conservation Florida and love seeing what you guys are doing.

Traci Deen 16:57

Oh, thank you, Amanda. And and and we're grateful to those who have already fallen in love with that property like like we have. D Ranch Preserve is an almost 500-acre property. It's a working ranch, and it is a public preserve now that's owned and managed by Conservation Florida in Osteen, right there in Volusia County. And it is, you know, a it was a really important property to protect. And we had an amazing landowner who reached out and you know, sort of circle back to to our last bit there, you know, could have sold it uh for development. Um it had entitlements and it would have become, you know, homes and a shopping center and and more. But upon some reflection, that landowner thought, you know what, this place is special, you know, and I don't want to see it become pavement, another shopping center in Florida. I want to see it protected, and and they reached out, and that generosity has allowed Conservation of Florida to really do something special out there. Um and out almost every day that we're out there, our team is discovering uh a new species, or you know, we found so many cool orchids, just wild Florida orchids, uh different sorts of amphibians and reptiles. Uh and for me, um there is, and I'll just share, there is a really chonky black bear out there who calls D Ranch home and and she is well fed and and having a beautiful life out there. And so um we're so happy to be able to share that property with our our fellow Floridians and our guests so that when you get out there, you know, you get you can experience a little bit of what wild Florida has to offer.

Amanda Perry Carl 19:08

It's so amazing. And you know, it borders Deltona right there as well, and there's so many folks who have moved into the area, moved into Deltona who have never really experienced wild Florida, and they get to go out there and they get to really experience what wild Florida is, you know, to leave their their neighborhoods in Deltona and drive 10 minutes and go see this pr this preserved piece of wild Florida. And like you said, there's so many species out there, so many things um that we just love and adore. So it's a great property. There's so great property in Florida for that.

Traci Deen 19:41

Thank you, Amanda. It is it is so special. And and yeah, you get out there and and you see all sorts of butterflies and you see a bald eagle overhead, and and you just think, wow, this is this is right outside of Orlando. This is just outside of a of several metropolitan areas, and yet it is a sanctuary for our native wildlife and a place where Floridians can get outside and connect with nature. And we're so proud of it. You know, we are uh there is an old barn on site for those that aren't familiar with the uh property that we are transitioning into a nature center. And so we are actively uh seeking partners for that. The DRanch Nature Center is uh on its way. Uh, thanks to Volusha County for partnering with us, to Big Nova, and to the many people who have joined our seedling circle. Uh, but if you're interested in learning more um andor visiting, please uh look look it up online and come and see us. We would love to host you.

Amanda Perry Carl 20:45

We're excited about that nature center to have field trips and Nina to go visit. We're super excited about that here in the area. Yes, me too. Now, you do a lot of work, and and I just want to brag on you a little bit here. You spend a lot of time in Tallahassee advocating for conservation in Florida, and you put a lot of energy and time into that. So I want to brag on you for that because this is not just a job for you. This is your passion. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about what your day-to-day looks like for you at Conservation Florida, and then you know what what your team looks like at Conservation Florida?

Traci Deen 21:21

Yes, absolutely. And and you're right. We do um our mission is is to protect our Florida's wild life, wild places, right, our water and conservation does focus on the land, right? And so a big part of what we do day in and day out is land good old fashioned land protection, real estate deals. But conservation doesn't end there. It goes way beyond that uh here in Florida. And so another big part of our mission is advocating for conservation and conservation issues uh in Tallahassee and with our uh local leaders. As well. For us, we do focus on conservation funding and initiatives that would maintain the integrity of conservation throughout the state. So for us, conservation means forever. And I think that's something that resonates with Floridians in a big way, right? If you see a property and it's got the word conservation on it, you don't want to think that that property in a few years could turn into a golf course or uh, you know, homes, right? You you want to know and you ought to know that conservation means forever. And so for conservation Florida, we spent a lot of time in Tallahassee for certain, meeting with our state's leaders, uh, both legislative, executive, and um any of our any of our big policy or change makers to keep conservation front of mind and front of hearts, uh, but to ensure that the integrity of conservation easements and and perpetuity is something that's also um considered. So um this legislative session, and really every legislative session, we you'll hear us talking about the critical need for funding of our state's programs. We've got two that are really, really impactful, uh Florida Forever and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. And you'll hear Conservation of Florida uh asking for a lot of money for both of those programs. Because, like we mentioned earlier, you know, it is our our state is growing really fast. And and yet there are so many landowners who have uh raised their hand uh to express interest in those programs and would sell conservation easements or would sell their properties for conservation purposes uh if the funding is there and if the funding is available. And so, yes, so we do that. My day-to-day uh changes. Um at the at the very end of the day, uh running a nonprofit is not unlike running any business. It is a business. Uh, it's just our purpose is uh mission driven rather than profit-driven. And so I know you can uh relate to this, Amanda, as a as a businesswoman yourself, but we we have a team of about 16 uh throughout the state of Florida. And so my day-to-day is not unlike business owners throughout throughout the state. And we have projects and programs anywhere from Pensacola down to the Keys. So I travel quite a bit to connect with fellow Floridians uh to move our mission forward. And then we've got projects throughout the state as well. We've got an incredible board of directors and uh a fantastic group of volunteers and uh supporters throughout the state as well. And so my day-to-day changes all the time. Uh I do get to practice law, uh, but my primary focus is running a successful nonprofit business. And uh so it's a little bit of a, like you said, a non-traditional practice these days.

Amanda Perry Carl 25:24

And I love that. Yeah, you talked about volunteering. So I want to ask this question here. You know, what can farmers, ranchers, everyday Florida citizens do to help conservation efforts in Florida and specifically with conservation Florida? So if people want to donate to Conservation of Florida, how can they go about that? If they want to volunteer, who do they contact? And you mentioned earlier, if there are any landowners who want help with conserving, who can they contact at Conservation Florida? Is there a number, an email where they can get in touch?

Traci Deen 25:57

Absolutely. So the number one way to support Conservation of Florida is by becoming a supporter and become a monthly donor. Uh, become somebody who invites others to get to know our work and or help us out in the field. Uh again, we have programs throughout the state. We have hikes, educational opportunities, cleanups, and more. Uh, but land in Florida isn't cheap. Uh, I imagine our listeners know that. And so when we're focusing on these critical parcels, um uh you know, they can be several million, if not tens of millions, of dollars to uh acquire and to protect. And so the number one thing that a Floridian can do is become become a supporter. And I would invite all the listeners to join us monthly and so that we're able to really, really uh focus on protecting what matters most and those those properties that matter most. Uh but yes, we you there are so many ways to get involved with us. You can visit conservationfla.org. You can visit us on any of our social media platforms. We are always engaged there. And if you're interested in getting involved, becoming a donor, uh, becoming a volunteer, we have our conservation crew that meets monthly. Uh, please email us at infoconservationfla.org and you can find all of that information online as well.

Amanda Perry Carl 27:36

Awesome. And there's all here at D Ranch in in Osteen, I know that there are cleanups um on a regular basis. So if anybody's in Central Florida, um there's there's definitely volunteer opportunities there. You guys do have a fundraiser coming up, too, if I'm not mistaken, right? We do.

Traci Deen 27:53

We do have a fundraiser coming up. Our annual event is called the Sunshine State Soiree. It's held in Orlando on a gorgeous lake, and it is an extremely Floridian event. We're talking Florida food, Florida-inspired cocktails, and a ton of auction items that are just once in a, you know, once-in-a-lifetime Floridian experiences. Uh, we would love to have you join us. And if you are interested in having some fun and spoiler alert, there will be baby gators at this event again. Uh, and a ton of Florida at night themed uh immersive experiences, uh, please check us out at sunshine statesourie.org.

Amanda Perry Carl 28:41

Thank you so much. So to I always like to end my podcast with some fun personal questions. Um, and I'm gonna ask a few questions here. What is a fun fact about you that a lot of people might not know? You don't have to get into anything embarrassing.

Traci Deen 28:57

Oh, goodness. Uh well, I a fun fact. Um, well, I I am very passionate about protecting our environment, as I think we have um shared, but I am also a very passionate equestrian. I I'm a total horse girl. And so I uh I try and get in the saddle a couple times a week. Uh I just love it. It's my therapy, it's my happy spot. I just I love riding. So um, if you don't catch me on the trail or in the boardroom, there's a good chance I'm at the barn.

Amanda Perry Carl 29:35

And Florida's such a great place for that year-round. Definitely. Now, this is gonna be a tough one because there's so many amazing places, but if you can narrow it down, what's your favorite place in Florida?

Traci Deen 29:48

I really struggle with this question. I really, really do. And and I'll tell you, it's been it's been so cool experiencing pockets of of wild Florida that I never would have otherwise but for this this job. Um But I I will say I I love the Florida Keys. Um I love all the all of Florida. Uh but for for me, my absolute favorite uh since I was a little girl, uh, is just it's the Florida Keys.

Amanda Perry Carl 30:26

It's such a special place with so many cool activities, um you know, lobstering and so many things that maybe you can't do in other parts of Florida, but every part of Florida is so amazing. You're right. There's so many incredible places to go visit. The final question What is your favorite uniquely Florida or southern food? And this is a tough one too. This would be a tough one for me.

Traci Deen 30:50

Well, um just I suppose to piggyback uh on um um my last answer, it's I've got I've gotta go with key lime pie, right? The right way anywhere else unless you're using key limes, right? So uh, but you know, I there is I'll here, I'll give a fun one though. There is, and then yes, I'm I'm sure you can get this uh in a couple other states as well, but uh there is a gas station on Highway 60 uh that serves the best fried gator bites that I've had in my life. Uh and so I'll go, I'll I'll second I'll second it with a good fresh gator bite. I might have to go visit down there.

Amanda Perry Carl 31:42

Yeah, I'll jump, I'll drop you a pen. It's fantastic. That is awesome. Well, is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners uh before we close the podcast?

Traci Deen 31:53

Just I want to thank you again for having me on here. It's it's such a delight to get to talk about uh all the work that Conservation Florida is doing. And if there are listeners who are interested in getting to know us more, we would love to know you as well.

Amanda Perry Carl 32:06

Thank you so much. I appreciate you being on the podcast today. And I know that our listeners are going to really enjoy this and and hearing about some of the options that there are for conservation in Florida. So thanks for joining us. Thank you, Amanda. Thank you for listening to the Legal Field Podcast. For more content, please visit the Facebook page of Florida Ag Law or go to FloridaAglaw.com and join us next time on the Legal Field Podcast.