In Spring 2025, the Trust for Public Land, with support from Atira Conservation, Florida Forever, the Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation’s Project Assistance Fund and a private family foundation completed the Upper Shoal River State Park project. This 2,491-acre property, located north of Defuniak Springs, Florida, is a mix of rolling sandhills and the headwaters of the Shoal River. It’s also a part of the Florida Ecological Greenways Network in Panhandle Florida. This large tract protects a vast expanse of beautiful woodlands and river frontage of both Gum Creek and the Shoal River, a designated Outstanding Florida Waterway.

This property supports native habitats and sensitive species and provides expanded dispersal and movement options for wildlife, including the Florida black bear. Rich in biodiversity, the property is home to five rare and special-status species, including the gopher tortoise and eastern indigo snake. Conservation of the property will provide wildlife species a larger block of protected habitat with 350 feet of elevation differential and a variety of habitat niches.

Through funding by the State’s Florida Forever Program, the property will become Florida’s newest state park, providing the region with new public access to resource-based recreational opportunities including paddling, camping, hiking and fishing. The entire property helps to support the military mission and buffering for Eglin Air Force Base and promotes the goals of the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape.

• Property Cost: $9.01 million
• Atira Conservation Funding: $37,000