State gets land to protect Eglin

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The state bought a 20,850-acre buffer zone to help protect Eglin Air Force Base from any development that could interfere with its missions. The land, on the eastern side of Eglin in Walton County, was bought from M.C. Davis for $12.5 million. Davis will continue to own and manage the land, but it will not be developed. The buffer was purchased through a partnership of state and federal governments and agencies. Florida committed $10.2 million, the federal government $1.75 million and Eglin $550,000. Eglin is 474,000 acres, but its footprint in the air is larger and includes special use airspace for test, evaluation and training missions done out of Eglin, Hurlburt Field and Duke Field. Airspace over the new buffer is primarily used for low-level flying. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 06/06/13, DoD, 06/07/13)