FWC’s Landscape Conservation Summit

Connect. Collaborate. Conserve.

The FWC’s first-ever Landscape Conservation Summit ran from May 31 – June 2, 2023, having brought together nearly 200 people, representing over 60 organizations including state, city, county, federal, non-governmental, business and non-profit organizations, as well as private landowners, to connect, collaborate and ultimately conserve the landscapes and habitats that protect our water, clean the air, and provide a haven for our native fish, wildlife and plants.

Connection and collaboration are critical to conserving the places that are meaningful to each of us while also conserving fish, wildlife, and Florida’s diverse landscapes. While this was FWC’s first Landscape Conservation Summit, FWC, conservation-based partner organizations, agencies and businesses have been doing great landscape-scale work for decades. The Summit marked an expansion of our partnerships to maximize conservation efforts that will address the complex issues we face now and into the future as Florida evolves and grows.

Landscape conservation is a highly collaborative practice working on a larger scale to connect and protect landscapes comprised of critical habitat and ecosystems for fish, wildlife, and people — across public and private lands, regardless of boundaries. The goal of the Landscape Conservation Summit was to bring people from diverse organizations, agencies, and businesses together to foster this collaboration, further building upon the strong connections and great conservation work already happening throughout the state. For more information on FWC’s Landscape Conservation Summit see our Summit Report.

What does success look like for landscape conservation in Florida? Conservation wins that are community-supported, regionally significant, and enduring for future generations. Success also means thriving habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants; clean air and water; productive landscapes that support sustainable farming, ranching, forestry, fisheries, tourism, and recreation. With Florida’s natural landscapes facing ever-increasing challenges such as habitat loss, climate change and invasive species, the FWC is boldly moving forward with partners across the state and beyond to ensure our natural resources are conserved for generations to come.

Organizations, businesses, private landowners and other stakeholders interested in joining the conversation about landscape conservation can email the team at LandscapeConservation@MyFWC.com.