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Conservationists warn of missing links in Florida’s wildlife corridor
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The Florida legislature has budgeted over $2 billion for protecting land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor since 2021.
Conservationists are keeping a close eye on areas in the Tampa Bay region.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation is working to permanently connect and restore the statewide network of connected lands and waters that support wildlife and people.
Chief conservation officer Jason Lauritsen said 10 million acres across the state have already been conserved, however:
“There are 8 million acres that are not yet conserved. So those are areas that are potentially vulnerable to development decisions that could disrupt the connectivity,” Lauritsen said.
Areas ripe for conservation include a narrow column in Polk County along the Peace River and Saddle Creek near road intersections that could become fragmented due to development.
Another gap is an area of Hernando County between the Withlacoochee State Forest, where an estate style neighborhood was planned.
“Over time, with every fire, with every flood, with every drought, with every hurricane event, there’s the potential for some species to disappear from that special place. And if they don’t remain connected, there’s greater and greater chances that those species won’t return from places they still exist,” Lauritsen said.
Lauritsen said gaps can cause state parks to be less resilient after natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, leading to greater chances that animals will not return to the state parks.
“The story will change from ‘let’s go in hopes to see a black bear, let’s go in hopes to see a panther.’ The story will change to ‘let’s go to this place where I once as a kid saw a panther, or I once as a kid saw a black bear,’” Lauritsen said.
Lauritsen says getting the information about corridors to decision-makers has been the biggest obstacle, but encourages Floridians to appreciate wildlife for themselves and get involved in conservation efforts.
The post Conservationists warn of missing links in Florida’s wildlife corridor appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.
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By Listen:
The Florida legislature has budgeted over $2 billion for protecting land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor since 2021.
Conservationists are keeping a close eye on areas in the Tampa Bay region.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation is working to permanently connect and restore the statewide network of connected lands and waters that support wildlife and people.
Chief conservation officer Jason Lauritsen said 10 million acres across the state have already been conserved, however:
“There are 8 million acres that are not yet conserved. So those are areas that are potentially vulnerable to development decisions that could disrupt the connectivity,” Lauritsen said.
Areas ripe for conservation include a narrow column in Polk County along the Peace River and Saddle Creek near road intersections that could become fragmented due to development.
Another gap is an area of Hernando County between the Withlacoochee State Forest, where an estate style neighborhood was planned.
“Over time, with every fire, with every flood, with every drought, with every hurricane event, there’s the potential for some species to disappear from that special place. And if they don’t remain connected, there’s greater and greater chances that those species won’t return from places they still exist,” Lauritsen said.
Lauritsen said gaps can cause state parks to be less resilient after natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, leading to greater chances that animals will not return to the state parks.
“The story will change from ‘let’s go in hopes to see a black bear, let’s go in hopes to see a panther.’ The story will change to ‘let’s go to this place where I once as a kid saw a panther, or I once as a kid saw a black bear,’” Lauritsen said.
Lauritsen says getting the information about corridors to decision-makers has been the biggest obstacle, but encourages Floridians to appreciate wildlife for themselves and get involved in conservation efforts.
The post Conservationists warn of missing links in Florida’s wildlife corridor appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.