The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is providing annual payments to landowners who have Florida panther habitat of high conservation priority. Enrollment is voluntary and competitive based on the location, amount, and quality of panther habitat provided as well as available funding. Optional opportunities are available for landowners to coordinate with the FWC to monitor panthers on their property and receive additional payments for evidence of panther use. Information is also being offered on land management techniques to benefit wildlife, livestock depredation mitigation, and other topics.
The program benefits both private landowners and the panther population by providing per-acre payments for habitat conditions that support panther conservation and landscape connectivity. While Florida panthers are the primary focus of the program, it will provide benefits to varied species, such as white-tailed deer, Florida black bears, and others that depend on the mosaic of habitats used by panthers.|
FWC recognizes private landowners as crucial partners in Florida panther conservation. Developing conservation incentives and providing outreach to private landowners are priorities of FWC’s Florida Panther Conservation Plan. This program helps to realize those objectives. Landowners within the following counties are eligible for participation: Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Polk and Sarasota. Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect benefits that nature provides society. The Panther PES Pilot Program is designed to reward land stewardship that provides habitat for panthers, among other important ecosystem services.
To learn more visit the Payment for Ecosystem Services page
