Local comprehensive plans are created by the community, planning experts, and local stakeholders. These plans are the foundation of our community’s character, and new developments must meet the standards set forth in the comprehensive plan. The Blue Ribbon Projects bill completely upends this foundational structure for large-scale development projects.

The Blue Ribbon Projects could also put taxpayers at risk. Road networks and other infrastructure will be needed to support these sprawling developments. We know that development doesn’t pay for itself, and local taxpayers – who will have no say in whether this sprawl should be approved – will be left paying for the creation and upkeep of these new facilities.

The bills limit local governments to just 60 days to determine whether new 10,000+acre projects meet not only local comprehensive plans, but also the bills’ vague criteria. If a city or county can’t meet that deadline, the project is automatically approved, and those development entitlements persist for 50 years.

And the bills say these projects will be approved by local government administrators, not by the elected officials, effectively shutting the public out of the local planning process.

Is this bill necessary? Absolutely NOT! There are tools already available in state law to allow for large-scale planning efforts, such as the ability for large landowners to create sector plans. These currently existing avenues for rural planning include full public participation, with the final decisions made, as they should be, by local elected officials during a public hearing to ensure that the sector plan is consistent with the local land use plan. 

We need you to contact legislators on the next committee stops for this bill. Those committees are the House Commerce Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development. Please let them know you want them to vote NO on this dangerous bill.

However, there were some included provisions (sections 18 and 28) that largely slipped under the radar. Both provisions introduced a chokehold on local government’s broader ability to implement any changes that could be considered “more restrictive or burdensome” to their comprehensive plans and land development codes, even in cases unrelated to building hurricane resilience or rebuilding post-storm. You can read more about that here.

There are multiple bills that have been introduced during the current, ongoing legislative session, aimed at fixing some of the problems introduced by SB 180, including the aforementioned damaging sections. However, the most promising is Senate Bill (SB) 840.

While not perfect, SB 840 introduces some positive changes to SB 180’s provisions. These include:

• Narrowing the scope of SB 180’s language to be more specific to hurricane recovery applications
• Removing the especially damaging and undefined “more restrictive or burdensome” phrasing from SB 180
• Redefining an “impacted local government” as listed within the federal register and within 50, rather than the original 100 miles, of a declared storm track
• Restoring home rule and the ability of local governments to forge ahead with the comprehensive planning and adoption process more generally, including building resilience, even if there are some restrictions on enforcement directly following storms

Please join us in urging the Senate to support SB 840 as the best vehicle to fix the problems caused by SB 180 and consider additional language improvements to:

• Amend SB 840 so it gives the multiple local governments whose comprehensive planning amendments have been nullified or rejected due to SB 180, a pathway for reconsideration at the state level

We also need your help in reaching out to your Representative, because there is no true House companion to SB 840. This means that even if this bill passes in the Senate, without both broad House support and a House companion bill, SB 840 might not make it over the finish line. The best solution on the House side is to ask your representative to support amending House Bill (HB) 217 so it mirrors the positive inclusions contained within SB 840 and also addresses the improvement specified above. We need your help in convincing the House to take up additional important work of addressing SB 180’s most significant shortcomings.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has launched two new Nature-Based Solution resources. The first is an interactive tool that provides a high-level overview of nature-based solutions and their benefits, while showcasing examples of how they are being applied in locations across Florida, successfully addressing flooding, high-heat impacts, coastal erosion, and declining water quality.

The tool also serves as a portal to a library of fact sheets that profile each project in more depth.   Each fact sheet includes the challenge addressed, project cost, materials used, permitting considerations, performance outcomes, and lessons learned. These resources are intended to provide practical guidance to government officials, developers, HOAs, and others seeking effective, scalable solutions that help support long-term community resilience. 

Nature-based solutions rely on the power of nature to mitigate or solve problems, using elements like mangroves, salt marshes, oyster reefs, beach dunes, and native plantings to reduce flooding, erosion, and heat, for example. Hybrid solutions combine these natural features with traditional infrastructure, such as seawalls or culverts, when needed. Together, they provide flexible options that protect communities while also supporting healthy ecosystems. 

“Nature-based options for pressing issues like flooding can provide some significant protective advantages while also often being economical and providing a lot of additional benefits,” said Dr. Carrie Schuman, Conservancy Climate Resilience Advisor. “These new resources showcase practical examples that communities can evaluate, replicate, and learn from as they plan for a more resilient future.” 

The Conservancy developed the resources following its December 2024 symposium, Working with Nature: Nature-Based and Hybrid Solutions for Resilient Communities, which brought together experts from across the state. The Conservancy will continue adding new example projects over time, expanding understanding of the benefits nature-based and hybrid solutions can provide across Southwest Florida and beyond. 

Hi there, I’m Dewey, the new mascot for the Conservancy’s water policy team! Look for me in future issues for the latest water facts, issues, and news. Southwest Florida depends on clean water for its economy, recreation, and wildlife. The Conservancy found our clean water economy provided a quality of life worth $25.5 billion! Learn more at conservancy.org/water-quality-economic-study.

During our rainy season, it seems as if we live in the wettest place in the world, so you would think we would use less water, right? Despite all the rain we get, especially in the wet season, we actually use more water per person locally than in other areas. In Collier County, for example, the average person uses 130 gallons of water per day, according to the county public utilities division. This is almost double compared to the national average of 82 gallons per day per person, according to the USEPA!

About half of this water is used to irrigate lawns, and the South Florida Water Management District estimates that more than 50% of irrigation water is lost to evaporation and run-off because of overwatering. If everyone in the Collier County Public Utilities service area reduced their water use by 10%, the county would save 3 million gallons of water per day and more than 1 billion gallons in a year!  

Join Dewey in turning down those sprinklers and conserving water!

Under this proposed rule, the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS), a legal term that determines which wetlands receive safeguards under the Clean Water Act, would be narrowed significantly.

Wetlands are one of the most valuable ecosystems on the planet, since they protect and improve water quality, provide fish and wildlife habitats, store floodwaters, and maintain surface water flow during dry seasons. Only about 5–10% of the world’s land surface is currently wetland, but more than 70% is already destroyed or impaired. Florida has more wetlands than any other state in the continental United States. Yet these precious resources are at risk.

Wetlands continue to be vulnerable to development and pollution. Florida has already lost thousands of acres of wetlands, and this proposed rule change would make our wetlands even more vulnerable.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida conducted an analysis of wetland loss in Collier and Lee Counties. What was found was staggering. In Collier County, 17% of unsecured wetlands were lost between 1999 and 2023, and in Lee County, during the same period of time, there was a 31% loss of wetlands.  More information can be found here: conservancy.org/wetlands

Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, along with shifts in regulatory oversight and enforcement across all levels of government, have already accelerated wetland losses nationwide. This decline carries especially serious consequences for our community, which depends on wetlands to support our environment, economy, and quality of life.

The agencies are accepting comments until January 5, 2026. Please take action here to let them know that Southwest Florida cannot afford to weaken our wetland protection.

Unfortunately, without much discussion, the FWC Commissioners voted to approve the 2025 Florida black bear hunt, including aspects of the rule that eliminate opportunities for public comment on future hunt years.

Without intervention, the Florida black bear hunt is scheduled to begin on December 6, 2025. Join us in asking Governor DeSantis to call off the hunt and, instead, prioritize critical conservation actions such as securing trash, protecting corridors, and reducing roadkills.

Read more about our advocacy on this issue here: conservancy.org/bears.

What do you envision when you think of southwest Florida? Possibly the picturesque beaches or mangrove-lined estuaries that support productive fisheries along the Caloosahatchee River or Ten Thousand Islands? Perhaps yet, the majestic cypress trees and wetland flowways that support the Greater Western Everglades ecosystem coursing through places like the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary or Big Cypress National Preserve? 

Over time, our flora and fauna, became attuned to the web of life in the wilds of southwest Florida. But as the human population increased from about 1 million people to over 23 million people in just the past 100 years, many species have become jeopardized by loss of habitat, persecution or commercial exploitation, illness, and climate change. There are over 100 species in Florida that are considered imperiled and at risk for extinction, and over 500 species of plants that are similarly at risk. 

What would Florida be without the DNA that makes it unique? A Florida without its panther, manatee, or scrub jay would be akin to a museum without the artwork. And even today, we still are learning what an incredible -and sensitive- balance that is necessary for these animals and plants to even be here. For example, the giant sphinx moth adept to pollinating the rare ghost orchids that are only found here in south Florida (and Cuba), or the natural seasonal dry down of Floridian wetlands that allow wood storks to concentrate their prey into shallow pools. 

While all of Florida is facing the impacts of a changing climate (stronger storms and extreme conditions), habitat loss and loss of connectivity, poor water quality, the pressure of development and transportation networks, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida is perfectly situated to protect three key species in our region that depend specifically on the lands and waters within our organizational purview. Without the remaining wild landscapes and aquatic ecosystems of southwest Florida remaining intact and healthy these three species could forever disappear.

Smalltooth Sawfish

These impressive “living fossils” might look like sharks, but are actually a type of ray. They get their names from the long imposing snouts that they use to attack their prey. Adult sawfish can grow up to 18 feet long, and baby sawfish are still a shocking 2 feet in length at birth. While sawfish historically lived throughout the southeastern coast from North Carolina to Texas, the remaining reproductive area for smalltooth sawfish is in the waters between Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Keys. 

There are only a handful of nursery areas where adult sawfish habitually return to pup the next generation. Outside of the Everglades, these critical pupping ‘hotspots’ are only known to exist in the Peace River and Caloosahatchee River. However, several developments are threatening these essential areas needed for the survival and recovery of this species. 

With the major die-off in the Florida Keys in 2024 and 2025 resulting in the mortalities of at least 65 large sawfish (and with more showing symptoms of the mysterious ‘spinning’ behavior), the pupping areas within southwest Florida are all more important to protect from the threat of coastal development and mangrove degradation. 

To support research and recovery efforts, if you see or catch a sawfish while fishing for other species, please keep it in the water, untangle it if necessary, release it promptly, and report the encounter to the U.S. Sawfish Recovery Hotline: 844-4SAWFISH (844-472-9347) or sawfish@myfwc.com.

Florida Bonneted Bat

The Florida bonneted bat is amongst the largest bats in the United States, with a wingspan that can stretch up to 20 inches tip to tip. These neat creatures can travel over 20 miles in one night to forage on beetles and small insects, and return home to cryptic difficult-to-detect tree cavities where groups of perhaps of a dozen or so of them may roost. Though they can occupy bat houses or other manmade structures, less than two dozen natural roost sites have been detected as of 2019 – making the bonneted bat elusive and rare. 

Southwest Florida is vital to this species. “Critical habitat” under the Endangered Species Act has been designated for bonneted bat habitat in all of the five counties within the Conservancy’s region: Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Collier counties. Such a designation means these areas are necessary to conserve the species, and most all of the identified “Critical Habitat” units are in southwest Florida.

Without the dark skies, expansive forest and wetland landscapes (and even some agricultural lands) within our region, Florida bonneted bats may struggle to recover.

Florida Panther

The endangered Florida panther, for which the population stands between 120-230, would not be here without the lands of southwest Florida. Once roaming throughout the southeast United States, the breeding population is mainly south of the Caloosahatchee River. 

Though efforts to expand the Florida panther range into lands further north are gaining momentum, the habitat in Collier, Lee, and Hendry counties are particularly critical to recovery efforts. Yet, large developments and mines on agricultural and natural lands threaten the future of the panther. If fully built, 6 major developments in Lee and Collier counties would destroy over 8,500 acres of the habitat (including agricultural lands where panthers find prey like deer and hogs) that biologists have deemed essential to their mere survival. 

The lands and waters of southwest Florida are home to some of the most unique and charismatic species. Their futures will be determined by our collective ability to protect the habitat they depend on in the face of ongoing threats. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has had successes in defending smalltooth sawfish pupping areas from coastal development, as well as success in establishing new Florida bonneted bat legal “critical habitat” protections (particularly in the area of the Corkscrew watershed). We have kept troubling roadways and developments proposed in panther habitat from breaking ground. But our fight to protect these species must continue until their futures are secure. 

Learn more about our environmental policy efforts here.

The Conservancy has participated in all three Conservation Collier referenda – 2002, 2006, and 2020. They were all approved with strong voter support, as many willingly agreed to be taxed at 0.25 mils to fund Conservation Collier. This success didn’t happen by chance. The conservation and business communities worked tirelessly to be transparent about what the tax was, what it was used for, and what Conservation Collier has achieved since 2002.  

Collier Conservation plays a crucial role in preserving natural, undeveloped lands, which are among the lowest-cost, most effective, and hardest-working infrastructure we have. Natural lands like wetlands help store floodwater during tropical storms and heavy rains, helping to reduce flooding of our roads, homes, and businesses. They’re also essential habitats to our threatened and endangered species, such as the Florida Panther.  

We thank the Board of County Commissioners for recognizing the value of our natural lands, which truly serve as the economic engine of our community and contribute to what makes Collier County so special.

While Conservation Collier was not approved for the full millage rate in the 2025-26 fiscal year budget (it was approved for 0.2096 mils), we look forward to working together toward achieving full voter-approved funding in the future.

The legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 180, was aimed at emergency response, especially hurricane recovery. But two specific provisions introduced late in the normal bill-shaping process within the Florida legislature are driving that concern.

Both provisions introduce a chokehold on local government’s ability to introduce any changes that could be considered “more restrictive or burdensome” to their comprehensive plans and land development codes. Comprehensive plans are essentially living guidebooks that outline a vision for how a community will use and manage its land – including natural resources – currently and in future years. (To dig a little deeper, check out 1000 Friends of Florida’s short report explaining “Florida’s Community Planning Process.”) Land development codes or regulations are the specific rules/laws designed to help enact that vision.

The first provision to highlight, section 28, is more limited in the time period it applies to. It bars local governments within counties that were listed in Federal Disaster Declarations for recent Hurricanes Debby, Milton, and Helene (essentially the entirety of the state) from making the aforementioned comp plan and land development code changes until October of 2027. This section is also retroactive to changes made since August 1 of 2024.

The other, Section 18, projects this idea forward, banning these changes for a year for any County appearing in a future federal disaster declaration that puts them fully or partially within 100 miles of a hurricane storm track. Given that we likely will continue to see increased trends in hurricane severity, likelihood of rapid intensification, and other potentially impactful characteristics, this language has the potential to regularly apply to much of the state.

So why do these two provisions matter, and how could they affect our local area?

While on its face, the language in SB 180 might appear to help people rebuild after storm damage without being subject to new building requirements, it is likely putting home and property owners at risk of repeated future damage and financial loss. The language further means that holistic local government planning for the future, including reducing flooding risks, can be called into question – a scenario that has already played out for Orange County’s Vision 2050 Plan.

The Conservancy is concerned that this can impact adopting smart and layered resilience strategies – including leveraging the protective power of nature – that positively contribute to our local economy and quality of life in Southwest Florida.

The broadness of the language prohibiting any comp plan and land use rule that is “more restrictive and burdensome” can and is also having ripple effects far afield from just resilience applications. Orange County is facing potential legal threats around its adopted rural boundary amendment, passed last year and approved by 73% of voters. The Myakka Management Coordinating Council’s recent request for better protections for the Myakka River from the Manatee County Commission has been stymied by the bill.

 We applaud the recent thoughtful conversations and decisions our Naples City Council members have made regarding both the continued erosion of home rule and opposing the damaging provisions passed as part of SB 180. The Conservancy, along with a multitude of our partners, will advocate for the repeal of the problematic sections of SB180, Sections 18 and 28.

For further information, please see some informative work from one of our partners, 1000 Friends of Florida:

• 1000 Friends of Florida SB 180 Advocacy and Information Page
• SB 180 Legal Analysis by environmental and land use attorney Richard Grosso

Now, some members of Congress are trying to make Florida’s illegal wetland permitting program “legal” simply by adding it to a lengthy appropriations bill, and without fixing any of the problems identified by the courts.

Take action by contacting Congressional staff members using the button above or clicking here.

This is an affront to our February 2024 legal victory, with partners and Earthjustice, which secured more stringent protections for our precious wetlands and the listed species that live there. The State of Florida and the federal agencies appealed that decision, but rather than wait to see what the appeals court determines, there is an attempt to use a backdoor method to reinstate Florida’s flawed wetland permitting program.

Wetlands are perhaps one of the most valuable ecosystems on the planet. Only about 5–10% of the world’s land surface is currently wetland, but more than 70% of them are already destroyed or in poor quality. Florida has more wetlands than any other state in the continental United States, yet these valuable resources are at extreme risk from growth and development. The Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act are foundational laws that we need to protect Florida’s unique and critical landscape.

We need stronger protections for our wetlands and wildlife, not less. Tell your representative to reject the effort to sneak in Florida’s permitting program that was deemed by the courts as illegal. Simply writing it into law and going around the pending court process is a disservice to our quality of life and the wetland ecosystems that make Florida one of the most special places in the world.

Take action by contacting Congressional staff members using the button above or clicking here.