USDA program to pay ranchers to help save SWFL panthers

The States Department of Agriculture could pay Southwest Florida ranchers to help protect animals.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service provides financial and technical assistance to ranchers to help them improve habitat and manage conservation concerns.

By joining the Conservation Stewardship Program, you would be helping improve Southwest Florida’s habitat for the Florida panther.

The program is part of a Regional Conservation Partnership Program with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

If you would like to apply for the program, you can do so by following this link. To learn a bit more about what the program entails, you can check here.

Below is a map of areas identified by the USDA as areas that could be essential for the long-term viability of the Florida Panther. These include Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, DeSoto, Glades, and Lee Counties in Southwest Florida.