Conservation Florida Protects Home of Endangered Florida Panther in Highlands County
All photos by Anna Crocitto
Critically Endangered Panthers Documented on Newly Conserved 1,003-Acre Ranch
LAKE PLACID, Fla. (July 2, 2025) —The endangered Florida panther now has one more safe place to call home. Conservation Florida, a nonprofit land conservancy dedicated to protecting wild Florida, is proud to announce the permanent protection of AP Ranch, a 1,003-acre property in Highlands County with confirmed documented Florida panther activity.
Thanks to funding from the Department of Defense (DoD), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Conservation Florida supporters, the nonprofit purchased a conservation easement on this vital stretch of connected wildlife habitat.
As a land conservancy, Conservation Florida is uniquely equipped to hold and care for conservation easements — ensuring these lands are cared for, protected, and conserved forever.
Just one mile east of Fisheating Creek, AP Ranch provides critical habitat for one of the world’s most endangered mammals. Trail cameras have captured two GPS-collared panthers and an uncollared individual roaming the property — a promising sign for the species, which numbers just 120 to 230 in the wild.
“Every acre we protect is a lifeline for the plants and animals relying on wild Florida,” said Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida. “Places like AP Ranch are vanishing. Saving them is more than conservation — it’s a promise to future generations that this wild, extraordinary Florida will continue to exist. We’re proud to stand alongside landowners and partners who understand what’s at stake, and together, make a lasting impact here at home.”
AP Ranch is located in Highlands County, adjacent to Archbold Biological Station
A Working Ranch, A Wild Refuge
Across AP Ranch, longleaf pines, open flatwoods, and oak hammocks give wildlife like Florida black bears a safe haven. The property is shaped by winding wetlands that clean the water and help refill the aquifer. In between it all, wide pastures are home to a herd of cattle, showing that ranching and conservation can work side by side.
“As a landowner, I’ve always believed that taking care of the land means leaving it better than you found it,” said Gerry Arsenault, landowner of AP Ranch. “Partnering with Conservation Florida ensures this place will stay pristine — for panthers, bears and other wildlife in perpetuity.
AP Ranch is a haven for dozens of imperiled species, including the gopher tortoise, eastern indigo snake, wood stork, tricolored heron, and Arcadian St. John’s-wort — a rare flowering plant growing along the southeastern edge of the property.
The ranch sits next to more than 10,000 acres of already protected land and just south of 32,000 acres of conserved wetlands. That means AP Ranch helps connect the dots — creating more room for Florida panthers, black bears, snail kites, and crested caracaras to move, hunt, and raise their young.
It also safeguards the water that flows into Fisheating Creek, supporting drinking water, natural flood control, and water quality across the region.
More than 2 million acres of Florida’s Working Lands Could be lost by 2070.
That’s nearly 1/5th of the Sunshine State’s rural land.
A Win for Conservation and National Security
AP Ranch also lies within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape, a nationally recognized corridor where military readiness, conservation, and agriculture align. The Sentinel Landscape Partnership — led by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of the Interior — supports projects like this one that protect natural resources and working lands around critical military installations.
"We’re proud to partner with Conservation Florida to see AP Ranch protected,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) Buck MacLaughlin. “This kind of land protection is good for everyone. It keeps rural Florida intact, gives wildlife the space they need, and helps make sure our military can continue to train effectively.”
The permanent protection of AP Ranch was made possible through support from the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) — two key partners in the Sentinel Landscape effort.
“NRCS is proud to help protect lands like AP Ranch, where agriculture and conservation go hand in hand,” said Juan Hernandez, State Conservationist for USDA NRCS Florida. “This is what it looks like when we work together to keep Florida’s lands productive, connected, and resilient.”
With the protection of AP Ranch, Conservation Florida furthers its mission to protect the Sunshine State’s water, wildlife, and wild places.
To protect wild Florida with us, visit conservationfla.org.
For more information, contact:
Sarah Shepard, Communications Director
About Conservation Florida:
Conservation Florida is an accredited, nonprofit land conservancy dedicated to conserving the Sunshine State’s water, wildlife, wild places, and connecting a functional Florida Wildlife Corridor. Since its founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has saved more than 40,000 acres, serving all 67 counties in Florida, by prioritizing strategic and evidence-based land protection, education, and advocacy.
Follow us on social media @conservationflorida.
