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Yesterday, the Florida Governor and Cabinet approved funding for the permanent conservation of 2,951 acres across three properties within and adjacent to the Florida Wildlife Corridor. That totals to 58,951 acres saved in the state since the passing of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021.
The properties conserved are Rainbow River Corridor, Osceola Pine Savannas, and Triple Diamond. Triple Diamond, located near Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, is adjacent to the Florida Wildlife Corridor and will provide further land for wide ranging wildlife, protection of freshwater systems, and habitat for many native species. The properties were funded through the Florida Forever program. The non-profit land trust Conservation Florida assisted in the protection of Rainbow River Corridor and Triple Diamond. All three properties are to be protected by conservation easements, where the land will continue to be privately owned and managed.
Two additional properties approved for conservation are outside of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. An acquisition within the Charlotte Harbor Estuary Florida Forever Project will expand adjacent Don Pedro Island State Park and provide additional buffering from development and resiliency to coastal flooding. This deal was made possible through partnership with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. The acquisition of property near Jacksonville will complete the Tiger Island Florida Forever Project, connecting a network of national and state preserves as well as parks that stretch from St. Andrews Sound in Georgia to the St. Johns River in Florida.
We thank all the conservationists, landowners, and partners who made these wins for conservation possible. At Wildpath, we continue to work with state agencies and partners to photograph pieces of the Florida Wildlife Corridor approved for protection. Please use our social media toolkits, and the media they contain, to widely share the story of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and our collective progress protecting it! More can be found on our website here.
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