The race to protect Florida's Wildlife Corridor
The Florida Wildlife corridor allows animals freedom to roam between areas of protected conservation land. It’s also important for fishing, ranching, recreational activities - and the state’s drinking water. More than half of the Florida Wildlife Corridor's 18 million acres is protected conservation land. But that leaves a lot of land vulnerable to development. And that’s the focus of a documentary series called "Protect Our Paradise" which is streaming on the Discover Florida Channel this fall. On this episode, we discuss the threats facing Florida’s wild lands and wildlife, what it costs to preserve conservation land, and who’s going to pay for it. Joining the conversation are Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida, Chad Crawford, host of the Protect Our Paradise documentary series and state Rep. Keith Truenow, a Republican from Lake County who was one of the authors of the bill that led to the creation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021.