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FWC Announces Payment for Ecosystem Services

Sunrise over a fenced pasture with grazing livestock.

For A Limited Time!               Link to FWC Payment for Ecosystems Services

The FWC’s Florida Panther Payment for Ecosystem Services Pilot Program rewards private landowners for maintaining and improving Florida panther habitat on their property.

Program Highlights:

The 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.

Florida Panther Payment for Ecosystem Services Pilot Program FAQs

The objective of the Panther PES Pilot Program is to provide a financial incentive to private landowners who provide and maintain panther habitat and landscape connectivity for panthers. The FWC is making payments to landowners who have property identified as high-priority Florida panther habitat. The program also provides outreach on livestock depredation mitigation and best management practices for supporting panthers on working and rural lands.

The emblem of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with a bird, fish, and deer.

Learn More and Sign Up! 

See our Landowner’s Guide to the Florida Panther Payment for Ecosystem Services Pilot Program for more information on eligibility criteria, habitat assessments, payment rates, and more. See our Program Brochure for program highlights in a downloadable, shareable format.

Enrollment for the program is currently OPEN. The enrollment period for this round of applicants is from September 19, 2024 to October 19, 2024.

To sign up:

If you have any questions or need assistance with the application, please contact program staff at PES@MyFWC.com. 

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