Cattle ranchers want Florida to preserve their land

ORLANDO, Fla. — Cattle rancher Billy Kempfer would love for Florida to pay him for the development rights on his land, keeping it as ranchland forever. But it all comes down to the list. His St. Cloud-based Kempfer Cattle Co.’s properties rank at 42 and 73, respectively, on a list of 258 properties that are priorities for the state to preserve. To buy out Kempfer and the other people who want to sell their land, the state needs way more money than it has — it would cost more than $1 billion for all 258. “There might be a chance for our first project but there’s little to no chance for the seco...