The Florida Ecological Greenways Network:
Protecting Florida's Green Infrastructure
Dr. Thomas Hoctor,
GeoPlan Center, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Florida
Work on a statewide Florida greenways network began in the early 1990s. This resulted in the creation of the Florida Greenways Program, which is administered by the Office of Greenway and Trails in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN) is the ecological component of the program and identifies the best opportunities for protecting large, connected landscapes across the state. In the last five years the FEGN has been prioritized, updated, and reprioritized in 2005. Most of the highest priorities in the FEGN are extremely important for protecting Florida's biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, development and loss of habitat are rapidly occurring, and efforts to expand land acquisition programs and sound growth management planning will be essential for accomplishing these goals. Initiatives include extending the current state land acquisition program beyond 2010 and significantly increasing funding levels, modifying growth management to decrease sprawl and protect important landscapes, and encouraging expansion of local land acquisition programs.