TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Governor Ron DeSantis gave the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act a ceremonial signature Monday morning.
He formally approved the bill last month but was unable to host a signing due to the Surfside collapse.
The bill provides $400 million to protect around 18 million acres of green space in the state.
“Today we celebrate another milestone of this year’s legislative session, which was a resounding success for Florida’s environment,” said DeSantis. “I thank the legislature for their support of this landmark legislation that will conserve critical natural ecosystems and working landscapes for the protection of Florida’s unique and diverse wildlife while preserving Florida’s green spaces for generations to come.”
This funding can be used for the acquisition of Florida Wildlife Corridor lands, in fee simple or conservation easements.
The legislation designates the Florida Wildlife Corridor as an existing physical, geographically defined area comprised of over 18 million acres, of which almost 10 million acres are conservation lands, that was developed through a coordinated effort of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Coalition.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor relies on and continues the decades of work by numerous scientists and conservation organizations that recognize landscape-scale conservation approaches, and specifically corridors, as a way to address habitat loss and fragmentation across Florida.
