How well protected are the endangered animals of Florida state-wide?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC. see Ref 1) and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI, see Ref 2) are two organizations that work to protect endangered plants and animals and their habitats in Florida. FFWCC is the state fish and game agency. They require permits when development puts state-protected species at risk. The FNAI is a non-profit organization administered by Florida State University. They are dedicated to gathering, interpreting, and disseminating information critical to the conservation of Florida’s biological diversity. Both these organizations work in concert with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has the primary role in implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Unfortunately, the USFWS is woefully underfunded, but they do excellent work in spite of that. Protection of endangered species in Florida faces the problems of habitat destruction due to development and human use of natural habitat ( both agriculture and urbanization
