Photos by carltonward | This week the state of Florida approved funding for the permanent conservation of nearly 17,000 acres (7,000 ha) in the Florida Wildlife Corridor. These lands provide habitat and connectivity for species including Florida panthers, Florida black bears, swallow-tail kites, and gopher tortoises. The properties are also home to key freshwater systems. The first photo shows the Chaparral Slough, where an 11-mile-long (18 km) conservation easement, designed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida Forever program and the Nature Conservancy, will help in the northward recovery of the Florida panther throughout the area known as the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The second and third photos show the Todd Clemons Ranch, where multiple creeks contribute freshwater to the Kissimmee River (foreground) and the Everglades ecosystem. This ranch will be protected by a conservation easement from the Florida Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Departmen...