A 754-acre cattle operation in Hendry County is being preserved through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simmons announced. The program is purchasing the development rights to Howard Cattle Corp.’s agricultural properties through a $4,145,000 voluntary rural land protection easement. It prevents future land development and allows agriculture operations to continue to contribute to the state’s economy and the production of food, timber and other resources. The property is adjacent to Spirit of the Wild Wildlife Management Area to the north and Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest to the east. Various wetland and large landscape species, including the Florida panther, are found on the property, which lies within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.