As staff to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (Governor and Cabinet), DEP provides oversight for the management of activities on more than 12 million acres of state-owned lands including lakes, rivers and islands. DEP buys land for preservation, sells surplus state property, and provides mapping and survey services for state-owned lands. DEP also specializes in geoscience research that helps guide regulatory and policy-making decisions.



Myakka River State Park - Butterfly in a field

Acquisition and Restoration

 The 10-member council reviews Florida Forever projects and establishes priority ranking for acquisition.
Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve - DEP Staff - Beth Fugate - Downed t...

Buy Land From the State

The state of Florida owns and oversees management of approximately 3.8 million acres of uplands (which includes 500,000 acres of conservation easements). Most of the land is actively used by state...
Oleta River State Park - A new growth of mangroves

Cabinet Affairs

Serves as DEP’s clearinghouse for all items presented to the Governor and Florida Cabinet.
Pond with trees hanging above

Florida Forever

Florida Forever is Florida’s conservation and recreation lands acquisition program, a blueprint for conserving the state’s natural and cultural heritage.
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park - Sea Foam on the Coquina Rocks

Florida Geological Survey

Specializes in geoscience research and assessments to provide high-quality data and interpretations.
DEP Receives Federal Authority for Wetlands Program

Interim Management Guidelines

Florida is home to more than 4 million acres of conservation land. Most of these lands are open to the public for recreation, and nearly all require some form of stewardship. The Division of State...
The Suwannee River

State Lands

Provides oversight for the management of activities on more than 12 million acres of public lands. Assists those who want to sell land to the state or buy land from the state.
Grayton Beach State Park - Fence on the beach

State-owned Lands and Records

The Florida State Owned Lands and Records Information System (FL-SOLARIS) was developed and implemented to record and maintain the inventory of real estate properties (including both land and...