Wildlife in Florida just gained a lot more land to roam. Yesterday at the Florida Cabinet meeting, seven parcels of land totaling 16,706 acres within the Florida Wildlife Corridor were approved for acquisition and conservation easement. The land will help with conservation and preserving Florida’s biodiversity.
The land is uniquely positioned to address key conservation focuses, including the preservation of ancient scrub, archeological and prehistoric sites, and protecting endangered and at-risk species like the Florida panther and the swallow-tailed kite. This protected land ranges from the Everglades watershed to ancient longleaf pine forests and provides key connections for the Florida Wildlife Corridor to preserve the ecosystems necessary to maintain Florida’s unique biodiversity.
What is the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Florida’s Wildlife Corridor is 17.7 million acres of undeveloped, natural land. State parks, state forests, private ranch lands and timberlands, streams and rivers all make up the corridor. Florida made conservation history in June 2021 when the Florida government enacted the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act. This bill secured $400 million in funding to protect this land. These loosely connected web of green spaces allow Florida’s wildlife to roam free. The protection of this land means the protection of Florida’s resources from pollution and overuse.
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A large threat to the biodiversity in Florida habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation happens when the roads and buildings that connect large cities. For example, the highways that connect Tampa, Miami, and Orlando encroach on natural habitats. The act prevents developers from using the corridor land for more housing and buildings. This is a problem that continues to grow in Florida’s red-hot real estate market.