{"id":1678,"date":"2020-10-29T22:39:35","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T02:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/our-work\/policy\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:05:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:05:39","slug":"policy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/our-work\/policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tThe Environmental Policy and Advocacy Department works to ensure that our region’s leaders have the proper tools to make informed decisions about the future of Southwest Florida.\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Policy\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tPolicy and Advocacy\n\t\t<\/h4>\n\t

Keeping our region healthy, livable, and functioning well is a complex task. It’s about balancing conservation with economic health and making sure decisions and actions are supported by science-based information and policies.<\/p>\n

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida Policy and Advocacy Department helps protect our wild lands, wildlife, and our waters. We steward smart growth in our area – advising on transportation planning and land-use decisions and helping to preserve habitat and waterways. The Conservancy works actively with decision-makers to ensure a bright future for generations to come.<\/p>\n\t

NEW STUDY: Clean water is vital to the economy of Southwest Florida<\/h3>\n\t

To address growing concerns around the health and vitality of our waterways, Captains for Clean Water, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation enlisted Greene Economics to conduct a thorough analysis of the economic repercussions of degraded water quality.<\/p>\n

This pivotal study aims to translate the ecological impact into tangible economic figures, offering a clearer perspective on the stakes involved.<\/p>\n

The study also shines light on how good water quality has a positive economic impact and that projects and policies that improve water quality will pay off through a more robust economy.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLEARN MORE\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Toxic\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"WQ\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tPolicy Priorities\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"DrPass1\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Climate & Coastal Resilience<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

We are working to educate the community about climate impacts on South West Florida and continuing to advocate for the powerful protective advantage nature provides us in meeting these challenges.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Aerial\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Water Quality<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

To promote better water management, the Conservancy works with stakeholders and decision-makers to ensure that stringent water management tools and best practices are in place and utilized.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Eastern\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Greater Western Everglades<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

Now is a pivotal time in Collier County’s history. A huge area of eastern Collier County is vulnerable to intensive development. If the Greater Western Everglades are developed as currently planned, the county could add over 300,000 residents.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Habitat\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Habitat Protection<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

The Conservancy works to prevent harm to wildlife by preserving their habitats from land use changes, conserving landscape corridors to provide habitat connectivity, and ensuring that habitat protections are strong.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Aerial\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Everglades Restoration<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

The Conservancy Policy Department advocates for CERP projects and funding to restore the River of Grass, reduce damaging discharges of polluted water to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, and send clean water south to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Policy\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Policy Resource Center<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive into our Policy Resource Center to get more information about our work.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t

View our full legislative priorities here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tSign up to receive Action Alerts via email so you can take action instantly and check back to this page for any current alerts. \n\t\t<\/h3>\n
Please leave this field empty<\/form>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tPolicy Department Blog\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tHow You can help\n\t\t<\/h6>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tHelp protect our water, land, and wildlife\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Take\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Take Action<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Contact your state leaders to advocate\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Donate\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Donate<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The majority of our funding comes from people like you who care about protecting our environment in Southwest Florida.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Volunteer\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Volunteer<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

A variety of fun volunteer opportunities are available. Interact with diverse people, learn new skills, and enhance and share your knowledge.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Environmental Policy and Advocacy Department works to ensure that our region’s leaders have the proper tools to make informed decisions about the future of Southwest Florida. Policy and Advocacy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"parent":1663,"menu_order":28,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1678","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1678"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17437,"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1678\/revisions\/17437"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/conservancy.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}