Land Conservation

The health of Florida’s economy and water resources and the quality of life will decline without mitigating and reversing climate change and protecting biodiversity through the maintenance, restoration and conservation of essential ecosystems.

Florida needs to acquire sufficient conservation land to ensure future generations’ ability to rely on sustainable ecosystem services, outdoor recreation lands and wildlife/landscape/ecotourism resources.

The Annual Assessment of Florida’s Water Resources and Conservation Lands developed by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research calculates that the anticipated cost to acquire all lands identified for conservation by the state to be $27.1 billion. At the average rate of annual state conservation land acquisition expenditures over the most recent five fiscal years, it would take nearly 370 years to produce the state’s share (86%).

We can and must act now!

Why is land conservation so important in Florida?

• Left in their natural state, our lands keep an immense amount of climate pollution out of the atmosphere. If we hope to meet the greenhouse gas reductions necessary to stop the climate crisis, we need to keep our remaining undeveloped lands intact.

• The best way to protect our rivers, lakes, and bays from nutrient pollution and toxic algae blooms is to perpetually protect the lands around them.
• Forests and wetlands are very effective at moderating the influences of pollution and naturally clean pollutants from water.
• 研究表明，由于避免了对昂贵的水处理基础设施的需求，用于保护森林，湿地和含水层补给区的支出可以节省金钱。

• 佛罗里达州每小时都失去了相当于10英亩的自然和工作土地，并与他们提供的宝贵自然货物和服务。
• Land conservation is an investment in the future as it steers growth away from sensitive water resources while providing recreational opportunities.

• 佛罗里达州的650亿美元旅游业与我们州的自然资源有着千丝万缕的联系。
• 佛罗里达州的土地保护史还有许多其他经济利益，包括农业，牧场，林业和娱乐。