Comment on Florida in 50 years: Study says land conservation can buffer destructive force of climate change

Florida’s population is booming. Climate change is making temperatures and sea levels rise. And the state is also trying to protect animals and open land with the Florida Wildlife Corridor. As the state grows hotter and more crowded in the future, it looks like a three-way collision. But according to a new report by scientists from four major Florida universities, the wildlife corridor — if completed — will not only allow wildlife to survive in the coming decades, it will make climate change less destructive to humans. To understand what the challenges Florida will face in 50 years, the report projected how hot Florida will become, how many people will move here, where they will live, and how much open land will be consumed under two growth plans: “sprawl” and “conservation.” The report then factored in climate change. Scientists and land-use experts from Florida Atlantic University, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida, as well as the Archbold Biological Station, all contributed their expertise. What is the Florida Wildlife Corridor? The Florida Wildlife Corridor, passed into state law in 2021, is still a work in progress, and aims to be an interconnected mosaic of state and national parks, open land and and working cattle ranches.