Florida's state forests are state forests overseen by the Florida Forest Service. There are 38 state forests in Florida covering more than 1,058,000 acres.[1] The first state forest in Florida was Pine Log State Forest, established on 6,960 acres in 1936. Cary State Forest was established in 1937.[2] Blackwater River State Forest and Withlacoochee State Forest were added in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[1]
Florida began large land purchase and preservation efforts in the late 1970s and management focus shifted from timber and wildlife focuses to a "multiple land use management ethic" including "conservation of natural and cultural resources, wildlife management, protection of water resources, and outdoor recreation."[1]
