July 23, 2009
Contact: Patricia Behnke, 850-251-2130

Having the right information at the right time is the most critical element to sound decision-making, and it's no different for anyone trying to provide for wildlife conservation through land-use planning or land management. Anyone in the land-use planning and development industry can tell you that pulling together pertinent wildlife information can be a challenge.

Now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI), offers a one-stop shop for this information with the Florida Wildlife Conservation Guide.  The guide is an online portal that provides access to much of the basic technical assistance information that the partnering agencies use when consulting with landowners and land managers about conservation issues and opportunities in Florida.

"We've recognized for a long time that there is a large number of regulated activities out there that could really benefit from early consultations, but we simply do not have the staff resources to handle the volume," said Joe Walsh, environmental commenting leader. "However, we envisioned a much wider audience for the guide as well. For example, there are new landowners who have moved to the countryside and want to conserve wildlife on their properties, but simply don't know where to begin.  The guide pulls together as many Florida-relevant information sources as we could find to one convenient place."

While information on many of Florida's common species, such as the robin or white-tailed deer, is available on this Web-based application, the guide also emphasizes resources vital to the maintenance and recovery of Florida's rare and imperiled species, such as the Florida scrub-jay and gopher tortoise. The guide also is endorsed by the USFWS.

"We are pleased to be a part of this comprehensive reference for managing and conserving Florida's wildlife and their habitats," said Dave Hankla, supervisor of the USFWS Jacksonville Field Office. "Information unique to our federal endangered species programs is included as well." 

The Florida Wildlife Conservation Guide assists landowners in understanding the resources at their site and offers guidance for development and conservation. The guide is intended to increase the capacities of the FWC, USFWS, and FNAI to deliver technical assistance on projects and land-use planning activities to support fish and wildlife resources.

The guide consists of four sections that lead the user through various conservation options. The first section establishes a framework for site assessment and natural resource evaluation. Habitat classification and species on those habitats make up the second section. The natural history of wildlife and possible conservation actions are provided in the next section. Finally, the user will be offered a host of conservation opportunities, natural resource planning guidelines, permit requirements and best management practices.

To access the Florida Wildlife Conservation Guide, go to MyFWC.com/Conservation/FWCG.htm. Finding all the information needed to make wise conservation choices for wildlife is now as easy as a click of the mouse.