Florida Conservation Group gets $1.1M in funding to improve ranchland water quality

Scott and the Cabinet approved the $5.7 million plan which they said would protect the land, known as Corona Ranch

The Florida Conservation Group (FCG) has secured more than $1.1 million in funding to help improve water quality on ranchlands in Central and South Florida, in partnership with Common Ground Ecology.

The money comes via the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Congress created that organization in 1984 to work with the public and private sectors to secure grants to protect the environment.

FCG works with private landowners to help secure conservation easements and other incentives that aid them in protecting their land.

“Natural and agricultural lands serve as natural buffers that store and treat water, preventing pollutants from reaching major water bodies,” said Julie Morris, director of the Florida Conservation Group (FCG). “By strategically protecting land in key areas, we can improve water quality and minimize runoff, ensuring the long-term health of our ecosystems.”

According to a release from FCG, the new money will help “to provide technical assistance to Florida’s ranchers to develop plans that utilize best management practices for prescribed grazing and burning.”

Those practices can help prevent runoff from reaching waterways nearby, with the aim of protecting vegetation and wildlife in the area.

“Florida’s unique aquatic biodiversity and delicate water quality is benefiting from collaborative projects like this one, led by NFWF,” Morris said.

“These initiatives involving diverse conservation strategies and public-private partnerships aim to safeguard the Southeast’s aquatic habitats, recover endangered species, and improve water quality, all while balancing the needs of working lands and communities. FCG is grateful for the leadership of NFWF and the collaboration of its partners.”

The NFWF’s most recent announcement included $2.4 million in grants to eight recipients across Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Those grants will then “leverage $1.8 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $4.2 million,” according to the release.

“The grants were awarded through the Southeast Aquatics Fund, a competitive grant program and public-private partnership with funding provided this year by six different funders, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cargill, Nestlé and Southern Company,” the release adds.