Split Oak Forest

Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area is an area of wilderness conservation lands southeast of Orlando, Florida. It straddles the border of Orange County and Osceola County and is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has been granted a conservation easement over the property by the two counties. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's management plan for Split Oak Forest is "is to restore and maintain the habitats critical to the long-term benefit of state and federally listed upland species, particularly the gopher tortoise." A parkway extension project across the southern portion of the forest is proposed to provide vehicular access to an area of new development.

The wilderness area includes prairie and scrub habitat, including sandhill terrain, and is home to gopher tortoises, sandhill cranes, eastern indigo snakes, fox squirrels, butterflies, woodpeckers, kestrels, various songbirds, and some rare plant species. There are trails throughout the Park for visitors.

A Friends of Split Oak Forest group formed to try to protect the area from the intrusion of the road. A conservation land swap is proposed to mitigate impact from the road and this plan has received support from county commissioners and Charles Lee of the Florida Audubon Society. The Orlando Sentinel editorial board supports the road project with planned mitigation.

A proposed Osceola Parkway extension is planned through the southern part of the preserve. The road project is one of many including extensive new toll roads being proposed through largely undeveloped areas engendering controversy during Governor Ron DeSantis' tenure.