Groups oppose building project near panther preserve in Collier County

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is concerned that a proposed development in Collier County would add more than 4,000 homes and strip malls only about one mile away from the Florida panther national refuge.

According to their website, the Bellmar community would have under 3,000 homes. It would be a mix of single-family homes, townhomes and villas, all walking distance to a mixed-use village center and an elementary school.

Credit: WINK news

The conservancy is totally against the project. They believe it would destroy over 140 acres of wetlands and kill more than 1700 acres of primary zone panther habitat.

They also believe a Bellmar development would threaten the wild lands, which they say the area’s rural quality of life depends.

Groups like Sierra Club Florida, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and more plan to explain why they are against the development.

“The Florida panther is the state mammal, but there’s only about 120 to 230 Florida panthers left in the wild,” said Amber Crooks, Environmental Policy Manager for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

Crooks is worried that the development would increase deaths among the endangered species.

“There are estimates that if the Bellmar development project goes forward, that three to four of those endangered panthers could be lost every single year, either by being hit by cars, or in coming into conflict with each other because of their habitat being lost,” she said.

Thirteen panthers have been killed this year by vehicles, which is the leading cause of death for the endangered species.

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