Southwest Florida is home to some of the most beautiful and unique ecosystems in the United States. This region’s diverse landscape is host to a wide variety of endemic plants and endangered animal life, much of which is threatened by rapid population growth, land use...
Horse Creek Ranch Conservation Easement: Protecting the Peace River Watershed
In a shining example of agency partnership, the state of Florida and the Southwest Water Management District have come together to conserve the 16, 316-acre Horse Creek Ranch that spans DeSoto and Hardee Counties. This conservation easement will result in the...
Meet the Cattle Ranchers Working to Preserve Southwest Florida’s Wild Side
Southern Living, March 21, 2022, By Kaitlyn Yarborough Photos by Brown Cannon As the population of southwestern Florida rises at an unsustainable rate, nearby cattle ranchers are among those fighting to protect the biodiversity of the historic Myakka River Valley....
Ranchers carry on history, family legacies
Fort Myers Florida Weekly October 13, 2021 BY MARY WOZNIAK mwozniak@floridaweekly.com Read full article on Fort Myers Florida Weekly This is a tale of two ranches. They are completely different, but each provides a brief glimpse into the cattle rancher’s way of life...
Florida’s Ranches Play a Significant Role in Combatting the Threats from the Warming Climate
Published in The Invading Sea by Jim Strickland, March 3, 2021 Go to original article I consider myself blessed to live and work as a rancher in Florida. As a caretaker of the land, I have both the privilege and the obligation to protect the habitat and wildlife on...
Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) and Florida Forever Conservation Easements: Key Messages
FCG supports funding for RFLPP • FDACS Legislative Budget Request: $15 million • Governor’s Recommended Budget: $0 FCG supports additional funding for Florida Forever. • Governor’s recommended budget: $50 million. • More is needed! Click Here to See...
Florida’s Ranchlands and Timberlands: Our Working Landscapes
The remaining wild and rural lands of Florida are dominated by working ranches and timberlands, which provide habitat for our wildlife and clean our water while also supporting our agricultural economy. Ranchlands are predominant on private rural lands south of...
Wetland Reserve Easement Program (WRE) Deadline is Feb 12th!
The deadline for this year’s Wetland Reserve Easement Program (WRE) is right around the corner, February 12, 2021. The overall goal of the WRE is to PREVENT further decreases in water quality through land protection and FIX water quality issues by restoring wetlands...
Florida’s Great Prairie Region
South-central and southwest Florida are home to a Florida’s “great prairie region” where vast grasslands were native along with species adapted to them. This includes the Florida dry prairie ecosystem-- native upland grasses, palmettos, and scattered shrubs and pines,...
Ranchlands: Nature’s Paths Across Florida
The Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN) identifies the most important wildlife corridors and large, intact landscapes in the state. FEGN Priorities 1-3 (shown on map) are the top priority wildlife corridors; these are the lands that need to be protected to...