Wildlands Network — Storytelling & Content Manager Application
How Florida Chooses What Land to Protect—
and Why It Matters
Written by Johanna Pryor
Anyone who’s lived in Florida for more than a few years has watched once-open lands disappear. What might surprise folks is that Florida doesn’t actually need massive ecological restoration in many areas. The wild land is still here. The real challenge is protecting it before it’s gone.
That raises a big question: who decides what land to protect? And how do scientists, landowners, policymakers, and local communities agree on what’s worth protecting—especially in a state developing as fast as Florida?
For the past 25 years, the Florida Forever program has been answering those questions.
It’s one of the largest public land acquisition programs in the country and has already conserved over one million acres across the state. Popular sites like Gilchrist Blue Springs, Topsail Hill Preserve, Silver Springs, Three Rivers, and Torreya Pines now enjoy permanent protection thanks to the progam, preserving both habitat and public access.
How Florida Forever Works
Scientists analyze wildlife movement patterns, biodiversity data, aquifer recharge zones, and other ecological indicators to identify land that plays a larger role in keeping Florida’s ecosystems functioning.
With limited resources, choosing which parcels to prioritize is strategic. Protected lands are intentional—they connect habitats, protect water, and keep species moving across the landscape. Together, these parcels form the Florida Wildlife Corridor—a connected network that allows animals like the Florida panther to survive. Zoom out even further, and this connected land becomes the southern anchor of the Eastern Wildway, a continent-scale corridor stretching from Florida to Maine.
If a property falls within one of these priority areas, landowners can choose to work with the state, often receiving financial support to permanently conserve it. Right now, there are more qualified properties than available funding—but that can change. Every year, public resources can be directed to the program to keep Florida wild.
Why Public Support Matters
Florida Forever works because it sits at the intersection of science, policy, and community. It’s not about freezing land in time, stifling growth, or restricting human migration. It’s about making intentional choices now so Florida’s wild places can continue to exist alongside the people who love them.
Florida Forever has been doing this work for decades—but its future depends on whether Floridians continue to fund it.