Hope for Conservation in 2020
By Gladys Delgadillo | Conservancy Environmental Policy Specialist
Two dates, one in the recent past, and one in the not so distant future, provide hope for progress in the fight to preserve Florida’s most treasured natural lands.
May 28, 2020 was Florida’s most recent Cabinet meeting. At this meeting, the Florida Board of Trustees approved the purchase of almost $80 million worth of conservation lands, including an acquisition critical to our region within the Devil’s Garden Florida Forever project. This meeting follows the February Cabinet meeting, where approximately $22 million of conservation purchases were approved. These expenditures are important not just because of the lands they save, but also because they show strength in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) land acquisition division.
For years, Floridians statewide have advocated for the Legislature to restore full funding to Florida Forever as intended by the Water and Land Conservation Constitutional Amendment (Amendment One). This year, the Legislature allocated $100 million. While this may seem like a lot of money, it pales in comparison to the $22 billion need the State has outlined in its land acquisition priority lists. The Conservancy applauds the FDEP, Governor, and Cabinet for these recent acquisitions, which exceed this year’s Florida Forever allocation. We hope this serves as a signal to next year’s Legislature that it’s time to dedicate 40% of Amendment One funds annually to Florida’s land conservation programs.
In addition, an exciting land acquisition opportunity will be on the November 3, 2020 ballot for Collier County. Residents will have the opportunity to vote to reauthorize the Conservation Collier program, invigorating it with new funds. This will allow the County to save additional properties like Caracara Prairie Preserve, which provides important panther habitat as well as hiking and hunting opportunities.
Acquisitions like Caracara Prairie Preserve and Devil’s Garden are not just positive, they are necessary for the recovery of Florida’s native wildlife.
The Florida panther is one of the most endangered mammals in the world, and habitat conservation is a critical component of recovery. Currently, there are not enough adult and subadult panthers, or enough conservation lands, to support even one viable population of panthers that scientists feel comfortable can withstand the tests of climate change, disease, inbreeding, habitat loss, and vehicle collisions long-term. The US Fish and Wildlife Service believes we need three populations of 240 individuals each before we can consider recovery a success. This means we need to expand protected habitat statewide so all three future populations have the room they require to hunt and breed, and so that individuals can travel among the populations ensuring robust genetic diversity.
We celebrate the upcoming state acquisition of Alico Inc.’s property in Hendry County as an important step in our work to save the Florida panther, and other native wildlife. But we cannot rest. We still have so much work to do, and not much time in a state that loses 10 acres an hour to development. We need dedicated land conservation funding locally and statewide to save Florida’s species, as well as protect water quality and drinking water supplies. Hopefully, this year will be a turning point for conservation, where we invest with renewed vigor in Collier County, and throughout all of Florida.
