Water-Related News

Conservation group celebrates establishment of Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area

Region spans 12 counties west of Lake Okeechobee, Including watersheds critical to Florida’s water quality.

On Monday, Florida Conservation Group (FCG) Executive Director Julie Morris joined Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to announce the establishment of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area in southwest Florida.

The Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area will allow the USFWS to work with landowners to secure conservation easements over ecologically sensitive lands, protecting those lands in perpetuity while allowing continued agricultural operations.

FCG engages in conservation science, planning, outreach, and land protection. The organization assists landowners with conservation easement and incentive programs to ensure that Florida’s highest-priority lands are identified and protected.

FCG partnered with the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System, the University of Florida’s Center for Landscape Conservation Planning and the National Wildlife Refuge Association to provide the science foundation behind establishing the Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area. FCG also worked with USFWS to lead stakeholder outreach efforts.