CONNECTING THE CORRIDOR

In 2021, the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act formally recognized the geography of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

The Florida legislature has budgeted over $2 billion for protecting land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor since 2021.

The state investment in the Corridor helps purchase priority conservation lands to expand existing state parks, state forests and wildlife management areas. 

It also funds conservation easements, which buy the development rights from working farms, ranches and forests to ensure that working lands are conserved. 

This progress map highlights pieces of the Florida Wildlife Corridor that have been approved for protection by the Florida Forever Program and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) in the State of Florida since September 2021. 

These properties were protected through the hard work of many individuals, organizations, and agencies. Please note that this map does not include lands protected independently by land trusts, federal agencies, and local communities (although many federal, local, and private organizations partnered with the state to achieve conservation of the featured properties). It highlights properties protected through the Florida Forever Program and Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.

This story map was created by  Archbold Biological Station  and  Live Wildly  and features photographs by  Wildpath .

To see more photos and videos of newly protected properties, and to help share the story of progress in protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor, please visit  wildpath.com/progress .

How to use this map:

• Click on 'Start your tour here' to take a tour of the properties or click directly on the properties you want to see.
• Click the X at the bottom of the side panel to return to the list of properties.

There are three map layers:

• Corridor Conserved Lands are protected lands managed for conservation within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
• Corridor Opportunity Areas are lands yet to be conserved within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
•  Proposed Florida Forever Projects  are properties proposed for protection by the state's Florida Forever program.

Still in the mood to explore? Check out the wildlife whose habitats have been protected with the Wildlife Gallery, featuring photos from Carlton Ward, Jr. and his team at Wildpath. You can also get a closer look at the working lands that have been protected throughout the Corridor with the Working Lands Gallery, again featuring photos from Wildpath.

The Corridor's conservation lands and private agricultural and working lands ensure the long-term survival of many species, while providing life support systems for Florida’s cities, improving the health of our waters, and sustaining Florida’s rural way of life.

Investing in rural land conservation will keep the Corridor connected, secure a future for Florida agriculture, and steer new development closer to existing urban cores.

Nearly two million acres within the Corridor currently lacking protection are already prioritized for conservation through the Florida Forever program, and hundreds of landowners are on waiting lists to sell conservation easements or expand public preserves. Without more investment in land conservation, the opportunities to secure these properties will be lost.

The vision of the Florida Wildlife Corridor provides an opportunity to attract the investment needed to keep these natural and rural landscapes connected—protecting the waters that sustain us, the working farms and ranches that feed us, the forests that clean our air, the coastal zones that protect us from storms, and the habitat that all of these lands provide for Florida’s diverse wildlife.

About the Authors This story was produced by members of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Campaign. The campaign’s mission is to advance the science, communication and education for The Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Thank you for the leadership of landowners, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, land trusts, real estate agents, and the many other partners who work together to achieve the permanent conservation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

We'd like to recognize some of the partners that have contributed to the protection of the Florida Forever properties highlighted in this StoryMap: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Department of the Air Force, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Wildlife Refuge, Audubon Florida, Common Ground Ecology, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Florida, and The Florida Conservation Group.