I was all set to write about how in the first six months of 2025, a series of years-long efforts came to fruition in and around Northeast Florida — leading to monumental victories for the future of land and water in our region.

To the west of Jacksonville, we had one of the largest land conservation deals ever in this part of the state. Shepherded by the North Florida Land Trust and approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the conservation of more than 78,000 privately-owned acres achieved a years-long goal of closing the final major gap in the Ocala-to-Osceola Wildlife Corridor…