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State Issues Conservation Guidelines For Imperiled Species

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is making its way through its list of 57 of the state’s imperiled species, issuing voluntary guidelines to help landowners and other interested parties with the animals’ conservation.

The agency recently approved guidelines for another nine species. The animals that the agency hopes will benefit from the guidelines include a frog found mainly at Eglin Air Force Base; a tiny fish that in Florida is found only in the Escambia River; and more recognizable species like the roseate spoonbill and the little blue heron.

Habitat loss and degradation, pollution and invasive species have taken a toll on these animals.

The guidelines offer ways for landowners and others to help conserve the imperiled species. For example, for the wading birds they include avoiding pesticides and fertilizers, and maintaining foraging habitat and wetlands.

FWC leaders plan to approve guidelines for the rest of the 57 threatened and endangered species in 2019.

For more information, visit MyFWC.com/Imperiled.

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Robin is Senior Editor at WUSF, spearheading the station's podcasting initiatives and helping to guide the vision for special reporting projects and creative storytelling. She hosts the weekly current affairs program, Florida Matters, on WUSF and also created The Zest, the station's podcast that's all about food, which she continues to host and serve as senior producer.