Get ready for an immersive journey into the heart of Florida’s vibrant conservation movement with ‘Florida Uncut’. October 2023,  Interview with Jim Strickland, Florida Uncut Click Here to Listen to Interview   ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  September 26, 2023 Contact: Julie Morris Jmorris@floridaconserve.org 941-234-7201 MYAKKA CITY, FL – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced an ambitious new effort to establish the Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area in southwest Florida. If approved, this new conservation area would allow the USFWS to work with willing landowners to protect the lands that are most important to the state’s water and wildlife in one of the most biologically diverse regions in the United States.  The Florida Conservation Group, University of Florida Center for L ..read more

Florida Conservation Group is proud to partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System on the proposed Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area in Southwest Florida.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is embarking on an ambitious new effort to establish an Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area (formerly known as the Southwest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Area). If successful, a new conservation area would allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to work with willing landowners to protect the lands most important to our water and wildlife, in o ..read more

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 Orlando, while timberlands are more extensive in the northern portions of the state – differences driven by the influence of fire on natural communities, and later reinforced by land use practices. The dry prairie region of central and southwest Florida where many ranchlands now exist is unique in the southeastern United States, support ..read more

Land conservation is essential for achieving watershed protection goals. It’s a simple, efficient, and effective solution that requires no pumping or infrastructure.    Conservation Easements: Protecting Water Quality and Reducing RunoffConservation easements offer numerous benefits for watershed protection. Natural and agricultural lands serve as natural buffers that store and treat water, preventing pollutants from reaching major water bodies. By strategically placing conservation easements in key areas, we can improve water quality and minimize runoff, ensuring the long-term healt ..read more

The Center for Landscape Conservation Planning (CLCP) was established in 2010 to provide an official forum within the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning for conducting applied research on the relationship between conservation and land use. The Center is affiliated with the Department of Landscape Architecture, forming a bridge between the disciplines of design, planning, and wildlife conservation. The Center Faculty is comprised of Dr. Thomas Hoctor, Center Director, and Michael Volk, Associate Director. Center Staff includes conservation an ..read more

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 intensification, and climate change. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System is embarking on an ambitious new effort to establish a Southwest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Area. If successful, a new conservation area would allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to work with willing ..read more

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 permanent protection of over 12 miles of frontage of Horse Creek, the most significant tributary of the Peace River, which is the drinking water supply to over a million people in southwest Florida. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and SWFWMD are to be commended on this joint purchase; a land conservation deal of this ma ..read more

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. See full story ..read more

Flamingo by CRAIG PITTMAN OCTOBER 18, 2021 Read Full Article on Flamingo Florida cattle ranchers hold fast to a 500-year-old American tradition that began in our state and is helping to save its remaining green spaces. On a steamy August morning, as the temperature rose with the sun, Jim Strickland stood on a raised cypress board in a rugged cow pen at Blackbeard’s Ranch near Myakka City, looking down on a series of brown, black and reddish cows scooting through a cattle chute. They flickered by like images in a clattering movie projector. Strickland, the ranch’s managing partner, wore a sweat ..read more