Peace River Greenway Initiative

From the Headwaters to the Gulf….

In comparison with Florida’s beautiful coastline, its vast northern forests, picturesque river systems, unique sandy ridges, and the Everglades, there has been  much less attention paid to the Peace River as a state resource throughout Florida’s conservation history. This inattention is reflected in the scarcity of protected lands that occur near and along the river as well as a shortage of directives aimed at protecting this critical natural resource. 

Wildlands Conservation, Inc., a nonprofit organization based out of Venice, Fl, is working to develop a voluntary, partnership-based Peace River Greenway Initiative. Our overall goal is to facilitate a corridor of protected lands, from Charlotte Harbor northward to the Green Swamp in Polk County, where the headwaters of the Peace River begin.  

The Peace River is the principal freshwater source for Charlotte Harbor, Florida’s second largest estuary. The Peace River is a critical life line of central Florida – it is an essential source of water supply for thousands of Floridians, and it is the watershed of the Bone Valley region- Charlotte Harbor and southwest Florida’s health is directly related to the health of the Peace River.  A healthy, protected, Peace River is critical in light of the fact that the region’s primary land uses over the past century have been phosphate mining and agriculture. The Peace River corridor is not only regionally significant, it also provides one of the few viable options for functionally connecting conservation lands in the south and north Florida, from the Everglades to the tip of the Florida panhandle.

We are currently working with landowners along the lower Peace River in Desoto County to explore various means for conserving their lands. This area is part of SWFWMD’s Lower Peace River Conservation Corridor Initiative and is a Wildlands Conservation Florida Forever project. Our Florida Forever Project: The Peace River Refuge, currently encompasses approximately 4000 acres along both sides of the River, from Arcadia southward. We are also working with other landowners throughout the region, to assist them in conserving their lands for critical water and habitat protection in this rapidly growing region.

Protecting lands from Charlotte Harbor to the Green Swamp will require the use of many land preservation tools including fee-simple acquisition, conservation easements, creation of landowner incentives for protection, and careful, collaborative coordination among stakeholders ranging from agencies, scientists, and conservationists to agricultural, industrial, and development interests. We are coordinating with landowners, private industry, several state agencies, regional planning councils, county governments and conservation groups in the region, to ensure that this valuable resource is protected and enhanced for future generations. Conservation of the Peace River is critical to our fishing industry, our water supply, our flood protection, our cultural heritage and the sustainability and integrity of Natural Florida.   

RECENT PRESS

Groups Unite for Peace River Article (March 31,2011)
download PDF of article


Non-profit campaigns for land conservation
Maps on the table. Maps on the walls. Maps rolled up and leaning against her desk. For Julie Morris, each map holds the promise that maybe, just maybe, she can help preserve the Florida she loves, home to one of the most diverse collections of plants and animals in the world.
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DOWNLOAD INFO ON THE PEACE RIVER GREENWAY PROJECT