Celebrating a Win for the Florida Wildlife Corridor – and Florida’s Conservation Future

From the Florida Panhandle to the Florida Keys, Conservation Florida’s ongoing efforts are successfully shaping our state’s future and preserving some of the rarest habitats and species in the world.  

In July 2021, we celebrated a major milestone when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act into law. A vital and vibrant part of Florida’s ecological landscape, the Corridor forms a greenway across the state that connects the Florida Everglades to the Panhandle and encompasses a mosaic of natural habitats.  

Florida Wildlife Corridor map by: Archbold Biological Station. By A. Meeks 

Currently, Conservation Florida is the only Florida land conservancy working statewide to protect land within the Corridor by developing strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. “The signing marks a big win for land conservation in Florida and sparks both excitement and inspiration for Florida’s conservation future,” said Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s CEO.  

“The Florida Wildlife Corridor provides a vision for Florida as a whole that protects the places we all love, offers habitat and room to roam for our native species, cleans and stores water, provides ample outdoor recreational opportunity, and supports Florida’s family farms and ranches, all while accounting for Florida’s future growth,” she added.  

Conservation Florida has been working on connecting key segments of the Florida Wildlife Corridor since its founding in 1999. Together with its incredible partners and supporters, Conservation Florida is now actively leading the charge to protect over 100,000 acres. We look forward to working with the State of Florida to achieve continued success within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. 

The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act includes many ambitious conservation goals.

• Maintain wildlife access to the habitats for migration and genetic exchange amongst regional wildlife populations.

• Prevent fragmentation of wildlife habitats.

• Protect the headwaters of major watersheds, including the Everglades and the St. Johns River.

• Provide ecological connectivity of lands needed for large-scale ecosystem functions, such as water and prescribed burns that are essential for land management and restoration.

• Preserve and protect land and waters that are not only vital to wildlife, but also critical to the state’s groundwater recharge and serve as watersheds that provide drinking water to most Floridians as well as help maintain the health of downstream coastal estuaries.

• Provide crossings for the protection and safety of wildlife and the traveling public.

• Help to sustain Florida’s working ranches, farms, and forests that provide compatible wildlife habitat while sustaining rural prosperity and agricultural production.

Photo by Larry Richardson.

The scrub-jay and Florida panther, two local protected species. Photo by Adam Bass.

Cowboys on a ranch farm herding cattle. Photo by Adam Bass.