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14-465: Florida National Cemetery is located in the Withlacoochee State Forest , approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of Tampa . The forest was acquired by the federal government from private landowners between 1936 and 1939 under the provisions of the U.S. Land Resettlement Administration. The United States Forest Service managed the property until a lease-purchase agreement transferred it to

28-513: Is 157,479-acre (637 km ) in the western central part in the US state of Florida , near Lecanto , Inverness , Floral City , Brooksville , Ridge Manor , and Dade City . The forest was named for the Withlacoochee River , which passes through some of the major tracts within. Withlacoochee State Forest was acquired by the federal government from private landowners between 1936 and 1939 under

42-484: The General James A. Van Fleet State Trail . The many tree species in dense forests include slash pine , longleaf pine , pond cypress , bald cypress , oak , maple , and others, providing dense canopy trails for visitors. This Florida protected area related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mannfield, Florida Mannfield is a ghost town near Lecanto, Florida in

56-585: The Withlacoochee State Forest in Citrus County, Florida . It was named after State Senator Austin S. Mann . It was the county seat from 1887 to 1891. During that period the Citrus County Star newspaper was published in Mannfield. 28°47′00″N 82°26′38″W  /  28.7834°N 82.4439°W  / 28.7834; -82.4439 This article about a location in Citrus County , Florida

70-575: The Florida Board of Forestry in 1958. Currently, Withlacoochee State Forest is the second-largest state forest in Florida, divided into eight distinct tracts of land. In 1842, Congress encouraged settlement here by establishing the Armed Occupation Act . The law granted a patent for 160 acres (0.65 km) to any man who kept a gun and ammunition, built a house, cultivated 5 acres (20,000 m) of

84-599: The Florida Cabinet agreed that 42 acres would be removed as they served as the habitat for several endangered species. Florida governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Cabinet voted 7–0 in favor of selling 137 acres of land to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the cemetery's expansion. A carillon was constructed by the World War II AMVETS organization in an open area adjacent to the first administration building. It

98-950: The Two Mile Prairie Tract, the Homosassa Tract, the Citrus Tract, the Juniper Creek Tract, the Croom Tract, and the Richloam Tract. The Croom Motorcycle Area is designated for off-road vehicle use. There are recreation activities for the use of visitors. Many hiking trails run through the forest including, but not limited to the Florida Trail , the Withlacoochee State Trail , the Good Neighbor Trail , and

112-542: The area and became a focus of intense economic expansion soon after the war. In 1980, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it would establish a new national cemetery in Florida, its fourth. Two major locations for the cemetery were studied: property near the Cross Florida Barge Canal and the Withlacoochee State Forest. The Withlacoochee site, though more environmentally sensitive,

126-681: The forest include the Etna Turpentine Camp Archeological Site and Richloam General Store and Post Office . The World Wildlife Fund listed the Withlacoochee State Forest as one of the "10 Coolest Places You've Never Been in North America" by the World Wildlife Fund. Activities include miles of trails for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and canoeing. It includes several separate land tracts with many natural communities and habitats for wildlife. These tracts consist of

140-571: The land and remained there for at least five years. Settlers moved in to take advantage of the generous offer. The area contained abundant timber and suitable farmland, appealing attributes to frontiersmen. In 1845 Florida was granted statehood. During the Civil War, a sugar mill on the Homosassa River supplied sugar to the Confederacy. A robust citrus-growing industry developed in the eastern part of

154-678: The provisions of the U.S. Land Resettlement Administration . The land acquired by the government would be named the Withlacoochee Development Service. The lands were managed by the Soil Conservation Service from 1939-1954. The U.S. Forest Service managed the property until a lease-purchase agreement transferred the property to the Florida Board of Forestry in 1958. Ghost towns within the community include Mannfield , Orleans, Oak Grove, Stage Pond, Croom , Rital, Richloam, Clay Sink, and others. Historic sites within

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168-481: The state. Environmentalists argued that Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Forestry Division officials did not state whether the 179 acres of land within the Withlacoochee State Forest was surplus in accordance to a Florida constitutional amendment concerning the acquisition of land for conservation. Before the Florida Cabinet meeting on October 26, the Department Veterans Affairs and

182-501: Was dedicated on October 9, 1993. The cemetery contains a Memorial Pathway that in 2003 featured 47 plaques, statues, monuments, etc., honoring America's soldiers from 20th-century conflicts. On October 6, 2021 a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument from the Woody Williams Foundation was Dedicated in the cemetery's area known as Freedom Memorial Plaza. Withlacoochee State Forest The Withlacoochee State Forest

196-564: Was supported by government officials. In February 1983, the state transferred land to the VA for the development of a Florida National Cemetery. The first burial was in 1988 and a columbarium was opened in November 2001. In 1999, federal officials asked the Florida Cabinet to grant land for the expansion of the Florida National Cemetery, providing 65,000 to 100,000 grave sites for veterans in

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