The Florida panther, native to southwest Florida and a keystone species in its ecosystem, has been critically endangered since 1973. The species is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, but the act’s conservation efforts have not been enough to protect the species from its major threats, mainly due to legislation aiming to weaken the act.
Threats to the Florida panther, primarily car collisions and habitat destruction, stem from the increasing urban sprawl and car-centric culture of Florida and the U.S., especially within previously natural spaces.
The latest panther death, occurring on March 10, is the second in March and the fourth of this year so far, pushing the population to a critical position.
Florida panthers, along with many other native endangered species like the gopher tortoise and the red-cockaded woodpecker, rely on Florida State Parks and similar entities for this protection and advocacy.
However, these spaces are some of the Trump administration’s most recent targets for federal funding cuts, and could face challenges in providing some of the same services as they used to. The cuts have added endangered animals to the lengthy list of our oligarch’s enemies.
With the recent nomination of former Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nevsik for Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, whose accolades include weakening the Endangered Species Act and prioritizing profit over wildlife, the Florida panther, alongside other endangered species, could face more risk or not survive the current administration at all.
Species lacking protection or whose protections came too late, such as Florida’s dusky seaside sparrow, have gone extinct, affecting its ecosystem's productivity tremendously.
Even with the administration continuously undermining previous conservation policies such as the Endangered Species Act, Floridians can still take action to pass promising legislation relating to threatened species and the protection of our natural spaces.
One of these proposed policies is Senate Bill 80, a bill attempting to combat Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda to transform Florida into a resort with a price of admission. Known as the “State Park Preservation Act,” the bill would require public hearings for any changes to Florida’s State Parks and conservation or nonconservation land management plans, aiming to stop the development of golf courses, pickleball courts and other properties on state park land.
Along with stopping developers from privatizing public land, the proposed bill allows for state parks to continue protecting the habitats of Florida’s endangered species such as the Florida panther. Since the bill was just introduced to the senate floor on March 4, Florida voters can still take measures to ensure their representatives speak for the will of their constituents — not their financial backers.
These actions include emailing and calling your senator urging them to support the bill with a personalized, concise message and following up later to begin a productive dialogue with those making decisions that affect you and your fellow Floridians. With these actions, we can change the future of our native endangered animals and act to protect the parks and habitats of endangered species.
Gracie Adams is a UF environmental science freshman.
