Press

  • Federal funding of $21 million will help conserve land in Peace River Valley

    By Gary White | Lakeland Ledger An infusion of federal money could help prevent agricultural properties around the Peace River in Polk County from converting to subdivisions or shopping centers. The Florida Conservation Group has received more than $21 million in funding through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program project funded by the USDA’s Natural…
  • The Florida Panther Finds an Unlikely Ally

    Cattle ranchers are joining forces with conservation groups to support the big cat's comeback. By Lindsey Liles August/September 2024 Someone once told the sixth-generation cattle rancher Jim Strickland a maxim that stuck with him: If you save the Florida panther, you save Florida. The endangered species, which represents the only…
  • Country’s newest refuge on our doorstep

    Four million acre conservation area stretches from Lakeland to Naples A 12-county swath of old Florida from Lakeland to Naples is part of a new land conservation effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to protect vast watersheds, endangered species, and agricultural operations. The National Wildlife Refuge System…
  • Jim strickland

    OBSERVER | Rancher says Manatee County faces key conservation decisions

    Rancher says Manatee County faces key conservation decisions Myakka's Jim Strickland says Florida is headed toward ecological disaster if the public doesn't deal with important issues now. By Jay Heater | 5:00 a.m. January 17, 2024 Myakka Rancher Jim Strickland says Florida residents have to think about what the future…
  • FOXX 13-Tampa Bay | Hundreds of Florida ranchers push for conservation easements to prevent climate change

    Watch Broadcast https://www.fox13news.com/news/hundreds-of-florida-ranchers-push-for-conservation-easements-to-prevent-climate-change By Lloyd Sowers Published December 19, 2023 5:16PM DeSoto County TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The cows, fields and farms in Florida are often overshadowed by beaches and waterways, but a growing group of ranchers say preventing red tide, blue algae and even sea level rise could start with preserving…
  • ‘Invisible Fence’ Keeps Cattle On Ranch, Helps Protect Environment

    Published in Where the Food Comes From by WTFCF Staff | Oct 25, 2023 Go to Article in wherethefoodcomesfrom.com For decades, Jim Strickland has managed and operated Blackbeard’s Ranch in Myakka City. As much as he cares about his cattle, he sees himself as an environmental steward. Strickland, 68, has…