U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) recently ramped up efforts to protect the endangered Florida panther as the state continues infrastructure improvements.
“As you work on drafting construction plans for the new Heartland Parkway, I ask that you consider safeguards to avoid disrupting the habitat of the endangered Florida panther,” wrote Rep. Buchanan in a Jan. 22 letter sent to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Specifically, the 140-mile proposed highway is expected to run from Polk County to Collier County, through the heart of some of the last remaining panther habitat.”
The greatest threat to the endangered animal is being run over by cars, according to the congressman’s letter, which noted that four panthers already have been killed in collisions so far this year.
And according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 23 of the 27 panther deaths last year were caused by vehicle collisions, he wrote.
“Modernizing our infrastructure to deal with continued population growth is important, but so is ensuring the survival of an endangered species that also happens to be the Florida state animal,” said Rep. Buchanan, adding that there are fewer than 250 panthers remaining alive today. “We don’t get a second chance once a species becomes extinct.”
Rep. Buchanan urged Gov. DeSantis to instruct the Florida State Department of Transportation to develop ways to avoid disrupting the panther’s habitat, such as by creating wildlife corridors via over-passes or under-passes that would provide the big cats with safe ways to cross the highway.
The lawmaker’s suggestion is one he also introduced in last May’s bipartisan Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019, H.R. 2795, with U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA). The bill would designate National Wildlife Corridors on federal lands and establish a grant program for states, localities and private landowners to support wildlife.
“My bill would protect many iconic species of Florida wildlife, including the manatee, alligator and Florida panther,” wrote Rep. Buchanan.
In his letter, he also told the governor that because Florida panthers have become an iconic symbol for the state, “We must do everything possible to protect this treasured species.”