Stop Panther Extinction

12/05/2022

1. Strengthen federal protections for Florida panthers
2. Revisit the ill-conceived decision to open the 25,560-acre Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
3. Deny permits that threaten panthers
4. Stop the extremely questionable, recently exposed arrangement where landowners in panther territory have been paying staff costs for public employees
5. Return federal wetlands permitting authority to the federal government

via Earthjustice



Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation
Sierra Club Florida
Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Club

Three panthers, including a kitten, were killed on Florida's roads just in the last week of September.

12/05/2022

12 Panthers Killed so far this year.

A 2-year-old Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle, and, so far, deadly crashes have been the cause of all panther deaths in 2022.

05/10/2021

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Watch PHOSFATE!

18/07/2021

During that hearing, the hunters made it clear they were not concerned about how panthers would react to them riding around on off-road vehicles blasting away at their fine feathered targets.

“There’s absolutely no reason not to have humans on national wildlife refuges,” said Newton Cook of United Waterfowlers of Florida. “Humans and panthers have interacted for eons.”

This is true — if by “interacting with panthers” you mean “running over panthers with their vehicles.” There’s been a lot of that — 17 last year, 27 the year before.

Sometimes I think Florida should hold a regular competition for the The Most Laughably Bad Idea of the Year. Some years, the competition would be pretty fierce because hey, let’s face it, it’s Florida. In others, the winner would be easy to pick. In 2011, for instance, no other competitor came c...

18/07/2021

Each panther killed by a vehicle puts their entire population- of less than 95 individuals - at risk.

It’s the 14th panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 19 total deaths this year.

11/03/2021

Former State Senate Candidate Katherine Norman on SB100 and SB1030, how important they are for the fight for our panthers, and how you can stay involved.

05/03/2021

Thank you to Senator Tina Polsky and Representative Ben Diamond for sponsoring the M-CORES Repeal Bill. It is critical we protect our precious state resources, including the iconic Florida wildlife that would be decimated by these . read -http://noroadstoruin.org/bad-for-our-wildlife/

27/02/2021

If we don’t get real about human pollution and control growth, sprawl, and the use of toxic substances that fuel red tide — we can say goodbye to the beautiful animals that fill our Florida memories.

Florida has recorded more manatee deaths this year than the first two months of 2019 and 2020 combined. Experts point to starvation and bad water.

27/02/2021

The Florida Panther is facing imminent extinction due to the decimation of natural habitat and vehicular collisions as a result of Florida's dangerous new toll road MCORES program and specifically the Southwest Central Corridor.

Take action to protect our precious state animal and stop the destruction of our natural wetlands on which so man other animals and plants depend on.

Take Action!

Email your legislators:

"Dear (Senator or Representative)
I stand in opposition to the MCORES program and specifically the Southwest Central Corridor.

The endangered Florida Panther will not be able to recover or survive as these roadways will decimate their remaining habitat and expose them to critical danger from motor vehicles.

Please stop this dangerous plan that will destroy precious wetlands and leave our state animal extinct.

Sincerely,
Your Name"

Find Your Representative | Florida House of Representatives
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Find Your State Senator https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/find

22/02/2021

19/02/2021

When we lose an individual panther it is devastating to the species.

As legislators discuss the ridiculous funding of MCORES — vehicle collisions remain the number one killer of Florida’s state animal.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Saturday that a Florida panther was found dead in Lehigh Acres. When driving at night, you have to keep your guard up – not just for drivers but for wildlife too. This includes the endangered Florida panther, the habitat of which is spread...

28/01/2021

You remember the catchy name for the toll roads, right? They’re the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance, or M-CORES for short.

See how it rolls off your tongue?

It could also stand for Major Cause of Real Estate Speculation.

But I think it would be more accurate to call it WOR-HOP, short for Wiping Out Remaining Habitat Of Panthers. - Craig Pittman, Florida Phoenix

Seeing Richard Nixon’s name popping up in news coverage of the second Trump impeachment has made me so nostalgic for my teen years, I may break out in pimples all over again. The first news event I remember is the moon landing, but the first one I really paid attention to, back when I was […]

26/01/2021

TAKE THE PLEGDE:

There are only an estimated 180 Florida panthers left on Earth, pushed to slivers of land that total just 5 percent of their historic range. It doesn't have to be this way.

The solution is simple: Florida panthers need habitat, and every piece of land we can conserve is critical to the panther's survival. But year after year, vital habitat is lost to development or permanently altered, pushing species like the Florida panther even closer to extinction.

That's why we need a new deal for nature — one that calls for 30 percent of the world's lands and waters to be fully protected by 2030. We cannot wait to find the solutions our planet needs. And we cannot be silent.

Pledge to stand with The Nature Conservancy as we call on world leaders to make this ambitious goal a top priority. Time is running out to protect the lands and waters that we all need to survive.

Act now to save the Florida panther. Only 180 are left and their habitat is disappearing fast.

26/01/2021

"The Florida Panther, the state symbol, is one of the most threatened species on the planet. With 100-180 remaining, the threats of habitat loss, deaths by cars, and the increased pressure on remaining wild lands, their protection is of great importance."

The Florida Panther, the state symbol, is one of the most threatened species on the planet. With 100-180 remaining, the threats of habitat loss, deaths by cars, and the increased pressure on remaining wild lands, their protection is of great importance.

26/01/2021

A total of 22 Florida panther deaths were reported in 2020, with 19 killed by vehicles.

An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle in east Lee County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports the remains of the 2-year-old male panther were found Thursday near Wild Turkey Strand Preserve off Rod and Gun Club Road, south of SR-82. It’s t...

26/01/2021

The Florida Panther is so critically endangered that it is vulnerable to just about every major threat.

Because the population is so small, low genetic diversity is a concern. In addition, construction causes habitat loss, and roads and highways pose a danger to panthers attempting to cross.

The cats are also faced with mercury pollution and diseases such as feline leukemia. A general fear and misunderstanding of Florida panthers prevents reintroductions to new areas.
*source: https://www.nwf.org/

26/01/2021

The number of highway fatalities continues to rise for the endangered state animal of Florida.

Thirteen cats have been killed this year, 12 by vehicle strikes and one after being hit by a train in Polk County.

26/01/2021

Congratulations to Logan, the FIRST successfully rehabilitated and released Florida Panther!

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Naples Zoo are celebrating the successful return of a rescued Florida panther back to the wild last month.

26/01/2021

Without adequate habitat, Florida Panthers engage in hostile battles over territory, resulting in unnecessary deaths.

An endangered Florida panther has died following a fight with another panther. It’s the third panther death reported this year, the first from intraspecific aggression, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A total of 22 Florida panther deaths were reported in 2020, w...

26/01/2021

At long last, Floridians have official acknowledgment of a point many have been making for nearly two years: State leaders were moving much too fast with plans to drive hundreds of miles of new toll roads through largely uninhabited wilderness and farmland.

The proposal — known as the Multiuse Corridors of Regional and Economic Significance, or M-CORES — would run the Suncoast Parkway north to the Georgia border, extend the Florida Turnpike west to meet the Suncoast Parkway and build an entirely new road up the middle of the state from Collier County to Polk County.

Combined, it’s about 330 miles of road with a projected price tag upwards of $20 billion. The proposal to build these new “roads to nowhere” sprang into public awareness just before the 2019 legislative session — and was strong-armed through the Legislature within a few months by Senate President Bill Galvano and allies.

November reports from three task forces studying the roads project should make even the most ardent M-CORES supporters hit the pause button.

26/01/2021

The Florida panther is the only subspecies of mountain lion that remains in the eastern United States.

Hunting, habitat destruction, and motor vehicle accidents have made the Florida State animal one of the most endangered in the world.

Today, there are only 120 to 130 Florida panthers left.

26/01/2021

"The proposed roadways and resulting development will destroy and fragment habitats of the endangered Florida panther, threatened manatee, as well as black bear, gopher tortoise and many other species.

The M-CORES system would increase wildlife mortalities as they attempt to cross the roads. The southernmost study area encompasses a network of public and private lands providing key habitat for the Florida panther.

The panther is dependent on large blocks of functionally connected habitat that support breeding south of the Caloosahatchee River and natural expansion northwards."

Last week, three Florida task forces established to consider the environmental and economic impacts of three massive new highway proposals —known as the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES)—completed their final meetings. These proposed projects represent the largest h...

26/01/2021

Adopt a panther!

Rapid, unchecked development in Florida has degraded, destroyed, and fragmented Florida panther habitat. Panthers – including kittens and their mothers – must navigate busy roadways and a patchwork of wild lands in order to survive.

26/01/2021

A 140-mile stretch of road in Southwest Florida could become a new toll road. Truckers and farmers hope this will connect Polk and Collier Counties. This task force has only just begun to consider whether or not the toll road is even necessary. The Florida Trucking Association and the Florida Chambe...

26/01/2021

Help us stop 140 miles of new toll roads that will destroy wetlands and Florida panther habitat at a cost of more than $3 billion! Please tell FDOT to not waste our taxpayer money destroying rural Florida.

Help us stop 140 miles of new toll roads that will destroy wetlands and Florida Panther habitat at a cost of more than $3 billion dollars…