Project Description

This project is described in summary form on the following pages. These pages describe the project from its very beginnings in 1993 right up through the outcomes that resulted through state and national legislation. Please click on your choice below:

Project history	Gives a brief, chronological history of the project.
"Panthers & Private Lands" - Phases 1 & 2	Describes Phase 1 and 2, which resulted in the development of The Landowners' Conceptual Plan
"Private Habitats: Havens for Threatened & Endangered Species" - Phase 3	Describes Phase 3, which has the potential for application on private agricultural and forestry lands throughout the U.S.
Phase 4 project overview: 1999	Provides an overview of Phase 4 - final phase of project, which laid ground work for the Farmland Stewardship Program (that resulted in Sec. 2003 of the 2002 Farm Bill) and Rural Lands Stewardship Program (use links or see project outcomes, below, for more info).
Concept paper	A succinct, one-page summary that briefly describes the projects' concept. You are given the opportunity at the end of this page to provide comments on the Concept Paper, and to post these comments to this web site, to help stimulate further discussion and input.
February 1997 landowners' workshop	Describes the February 1997 workshop where the Phase 1 Project Report and proposed Conceptual Plan were presented to private landowners with more than 100 acres of land containing priority panther habitat in Collier, Hendry & Lee counties. This is must reading to understand landowner sentiments toward the Conceptual Plan -- and more traditional approaches to preserving endangered species their properties.
May 1997 workshop summary	Describes the May 1997 workshop between the Landowners Working Group and Review Committee where key issues related to this project were discussed.
October 1997 workshop results	Provides link to documents describing the October 1997 workshop between private landowners, government agencies, conservation interests and other stakeholders where the dialog on key issues continued.
May 1998 workshop results	Describes results of the May 1998 Workshop. Includes a workshop report. Also includes links to documents that were discussed at the workshop, including input on the Lease Concept, Points of Concern and Guidelines to Applying the Lease to Individual Parcels of Property.
October 1998 workshop results	Link to documents describing results of final workshop, where consensus was reached on remaining issues.
January 1999 landowners meeting	Discussion of workshop results by landowners.
Project accolade	The final, April 2000 Progress Report sent to all long-time participants in this project describes the progress that was made and the national impact that resulted from each participant's efforts from 1993-1999.
Project outcomes	Here is a comprehensive contents page with links to all of the programs, services and legislation that resulted from this project.