Shelby Ragan English /8/12

How can the Florida Panthers' habitat be preserved while still appeasing the advocates of urbanization in the area?

The Issue A land developer in Collier County has plans to build a new town on 8000 acres of farmland surrounded by acres of preserve land. This impedes on the Florida Panthers' natural habitat which is already limited causing increased stress on the panthers' population.

The development of a new neighborhood would be beneficial to many who would like to own land and/or need to rent a home. This will provide homes and income but will drastically reduce the Florida Panther's environment threatening their population numbers more than they are now. An mutual agreement that satisfies both sides needs to be made.

Although the building of the new town will help the economy, it has not been decided whether the benefits outweigh the negative effects it will have on the Florida Panther's habitat and population.

The construction of a new neighborhood will bring many homes for people to live, whether it be to own or rent. For those who buy and then rent out their new homes a new income will exist for those homeowners.

In addition to income to an individual homeowner, due to taxes and actual purchase of the houses would ultimately help boost the economy in the United States. This in turn would benefit not only those who are directly involved with the neighborhood but every citizen of the U.S.

Along with attracting possible residents to the area, the development of a new neighborhood will create the introduction of other developing aspects such as restaurants, stores, and attractions. The addition of these attractions will also help boost the economy with the money from tourists and residents.

Not only will others come and spend money at the developed tourism attractions, but they will also come to see this area of Florida that is rich in wildlife and green surroundings. These high income spots are important because they make up the 40 billion dollar tourism industry.

Due to the space needed for each panther, impeding on their environment is detrimental. Male panthers have an average home range of 150 to 200 square miles and are very territorial, although females share their 80 mile home range with other females, males do not. In addition to this land, panthers have been known to travel up to 80 miles in a single day.

The habitat of the Panthers is a concern because their population is dangerously low to the point where extinction is a huge possibility. To our knowledge, there are only about fifty panthers still in existence.

Collisions with motor vehicles is the biggest threat that humans pose to the Florida Panther causing a record 15 deaths this year alone decreasing the number of the population by large numbers each year.

Whilst each party has a different view one thing is still shared between them all, the need for preservation of the surrounding land. The land developers need a beautiful surrounding to attract homeowners, tourism board needs it to attract tourists, and environmentalists need it for the population of the Panthers to flourish.

To satisfy all sides, a proposition has been made that allows the construction of a neighborhood in a smaller area than initially planned. In addition to this, many cautious measures will be taken to keep the Panthers safe. These measures include fences and alternative routes for panthers to navigate around roadways, also residents will be required to report all panther sightings so that they can be collared and tagged.

These measures that will be taken to keep panthers off roadways has been successful in other areas and must be abided by in this new development.

Works Cited "Defenders in Action: Protecting and Restoring Panther Habitat." Florida Panther. Defenders of Wildlife, Web. 20 Nov Church, Dennis. "Building Sustainable Communities: An Opportunity And A Vision For A Future That Works." EcoIQ Magazine: Features, Opinion, News, Resources, Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov Gills, Chas. "Panther Road Deaths on State Record pace." The News- Press. News Press, 23 Oct Nov "Urbanization" The Environmental Literacy Council - Web. 08 Nov