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Transportation and Natural Context Design Solutions for the Florida Panhandle - Charles Pattison
Published: 1/9/2005
2004 Southeast Watershed Roundtable Presentaion Click here for full agenda
A recent Nature Conservancy survey found that the Florida Panhandle is one of the six most important places for biodiversity in the United States. In addition to being home to the three largest rivers in the state, the Panhandle is also home to the largest remaining longleaf pine forest in the world. It is also a vital recharge area for the underground drinking water supply that sustains millions of Floridians, and is home to some of the highest populations of stone crabs, conchs and whelks in the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, this part of the state is developing at a remarkable pace, and four of the ten fastest growing counties in Florida are located here. With an economic base dependent on the military, commercial and sport fishing, agriculture and tourism, rapid growth in this environmentally sensitive and unique habitat area raises questions about how to balance competing interests. 1000 Friends of Florida believes one of the most effective tools for helping manage this balance is through sound transportation planning that is also sensitive to preserving water quality, protecting wildlife, and making communities safer and more friendly for pedestrians. Natural and human habitats are inextricably linked, and because transportation infrastructure affects both substantially, a broad set of solutions is required. We are focused on three themes: (1) improving the public’s ability to access and provide input to the transportation planning process; (2) managing the effects of transportation projects on natural habitat; and (3) improving transportation planning through context sensitive design to make communities safer and more attractive.
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