Policy Blog

Home Hero1 1920w

Water Works with Dewey: Turn down sprinklers and save water

Hi there, I’m Dewey, the new mascot for the Conservancy’s water policy team! Look for me in future issues for the latest water facts, issues, and news. Southwest Florida depends…

Reflections of a sunset in the Florida Everglades

Take action to stop the threat on wetlands protection

Citing the need for “regulatory certainty”, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers are proposing to remove protections from millions of acres of wetlands. Under this…

Floridablackbearcub (1)

Ask the Governor to end the hunt

At their August 2025 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to adopt new rules allowing annual hunts on Florida black bears, despite the serious concerns raised…

bonneted bat

Without the wilds of Southwest Florida, these endangered species may vanish

By Amber Crooks, Senior Environmental Policy Advisor What do you envision when you think of southwest Florida? Possibly the picturesque beaches or mangrove-lined estuaries that support productive fisheries along the…

Shell Island Road

Conservation Collier funding approved for FY 2025-26

The Conservancy is pleased to share that the Collier County Board of Commissioners approved funding for Conservation Collier for the 2025-26 fiscal year during the budget hearing on September 18,…

Fort,Myers,Beach,,Fl., ,October,20,,2022:,A,Month

Resilience, quality of life, and home rule: How one new law has hamstrung local governments and further eroded local control

A bill passed last legislative session focused on emergency response, including hurricane recovery, is causing local governments to worry their hands may be tied when it comes to making smart…

Aerial view, Everglades Natuional Park, FLORIDA, USA, AMERICA

Protect our wetlands: Stop the brazen attempt to go around the courts

We’ve seen efforts like this before: Lowering the bar on water quality standards because the higher standards were not being met. Changing longstanding agency policy to allow new development to…

Screenshot 2025 07 08 174558[31]

The Everglades detention center’s threat to wildlife, water, and Big Cypress

Vital history: How Big Cypress National Preserve was first protected In the late 1960s, plans for the Everglades Jetport—a six-runway facility that would have been the largest airport in the…

Screenshot 2025 08 20 At 1.10.36 PM

Conservancy calls for action to protect bears despite FWC vote

By Amber Crooks, Senior Environmental Policy Advisor, Conservancy of Southwest Florida On August 13, 2025, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) provided the final vote needed to establish…