Minding the Gaps in Florida
June 26, 2025
Location:
Westin Resort in Cape Coral, FL
Registration + Agenda:
flfloods.org/page/FFMA2025AnnualConference
Session: Florida floodplain managers oversee much of the land and habitant within the Florida Wildlife Corridor (FLWC), an existing physical, geographically defined area, per the 2021 Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, comprised of over 18 million acres, of which 10 million acres are protected conservation lands. The FLWC is critical for wildlife migration, health, and endangered species protection. This session will share the importance of the FLWC with floodplain managers, given that it is predominately located within our mapped flood zones and unmapped floodplains. Attendees will learn about the FLWC Gap Assessment findings for key critical pinch points and the counties and municipalities these are in, showing how they impact the Corridor’s Connectivity to maintain Wildlife Movement in our State. Attendees will be introduced to the newly released Corridor Compatible Communities (CCC) Design Guidelines that can be used as a tool by professionals and municipality agencies/staff reviewers on teams working near FLWC lands. Presenters will demonstrate the 5 tools available in the Corridor Connect Tool Box for assessing proposed development’s impact to these critical gaps and other priority areas throughout the State. The Corridor Connect toolbox and the CCC Design Guidelines are the newest tools for demonstrating the natural and beneficial functions of the floodplain that simultaneously support conservation of wild lands, wildlife connectivity, resilience planning, and increased bio-diversity.
Speakers:
Rebecca Bradley, Founding Principal, Cadence
Kristen Nowak, Corridor Implementation Manager, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation
Del Schwalls, PE, CFM, President, Schwalls Consulting, LLC
Board of Directors | Florida Floodplain Managers Association
