5272226
An image of a Florida Panther resting on the ground.
Southwest Florida Developments

Learn about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biological opinions on developments in Southwest Florida. 

Serving Florida by conserving our most imperiled species and working with others to conserve plants, fish, and wildlife.
Doing a deeper dive on endangered species policy, planning and species?
  1. Florida ES post-storm and emergency response guidance
  2. Southeast Regional Emergency ESA Sections 7 Consultations
  3. Concerned about a construction project in your community and how it may affect an endangered species? Learn what the Endangered Species Act does and doesn't do in these situations.
  4. All biological opinions can be found here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/biological-opinion
  5. All habitat conservation plans can be found here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/conservation-plans-type-region
  6. Your first stop in project planning and consultations can be found here: https://ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov/
  7. Federally listed species information can be found here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/

Latest News

A volunteer caravaning multiple green sea turtles on a blue kayak
What Happens to Turtles When it Snows in the Sunshine State?
Many places in Florida are used to getting sand blasted but what happens when the Sunshine State gets snow blasted? The South has many interesting and unique weather events, but snow in Florida is not usually on the radar…until it is.
Florida manatee swims in shallow water toward camera.
Endangered Species Act
Servicio Federal de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos Publica Desición Sobre Dos Peticiones del Manatí de las Indias Occidentales 
Luego de revisar la mejor información científica y comercial, el Servicio Federal y Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos propone listar por separado bajo el Acta de Especies en Peligro (ESA por sus siglas en inglés) a las dos subespecies del manatí de las Indias Occidentales. El reglamento...
Close up of manatee
Endangered Species Act
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publishes Finding on Two West Indian Manatee Petitions
After reviewing the best scientific and commercial data, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes separate Endangered Species Act listings for two West Indian manatee subspecies. The proposed rule would recognize the Florida manatee as a threatened species with a blanket 4(d) rule and the...
Male monarch butterfly on rabbitbrush
Endangered Species Act
Monarch Butterfly Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing protection for one of the nation’s most beloved species, the monarch butterfly, and is encouraging the public to be part of its recovery. The Service is seeking public input on a proposal to list the species as threatened with species-specific...
Freshwater mussels from the Chipola River.
Our Partners
Conservation Success Story: A Tale of Two Mussels
Two species of freshwater mussels living in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin may no longer require federal protection after decades of partnered habitat restoration work. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the Chipola slabshell (Elliptio chipolaensis) and fat...
A woodpecker perched on a tree with a bug in its mouth.
Endangered Species Act
Downlisting of Red-cockaded Woodpecker from Endangered to Threatened
The Department of the Interior today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is downlisting the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. This milestone is the result of five decades of collaborative conservation efforts between the...
View All News

About Us

Biologist standing chest-deep in water holding a gulf sturgeon
Image Details

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the nation's wildlife management and conservation agency. The Florida Ecological Services Office is the primary Service office serving the state of Florida on matters of federal threatened and endangered species and habitat conservation, including supporting the conservation of private lands; and working with federal agencies and other partners to address fish, plant, and wildlife impacts resulting from their actions. The Florida Ecological Services Office is headquartered in Gainesville, with branch offices in Panama city, Jacksonville, and Vero Beach to better serve those areas of the state.

What We Do

Perdido Key beach mouse sticking its head out from a human-made shelter covered in sand
Image Details

Across Florida, we carry out the Service’s mission by:

  • Conserving imperiled species.
  • Helping federal agencies identify and address negative plant, fish, and wildlife impacts from projects they fund or authorize.
  • Conversing with the American public about wildlife conservation via social media, educational programs, public hearings, and other forms of public interaction.

Our Organization

A rocky shoreline of a river. The water is calm. Mist and green branches line the river.
The Ecological Services Program works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, we work with federal, state, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA

Our Species

The most current information on Federally-listed species found in the Florida Ecological Services Office area please search the Service's Environmental Conservation Online System ( ECOS ECOS
Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) serves a variety of reports related to FWS Threatened and Endangered Species.

Learn more about ECOS ).  

Use IPaC to identify your project location and receive an official species list (pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12) of T&E species that should be considered when evaluating the potential impacts of a project.

Projects and Research

Lone piping plover, with leg bands, standing on sand
Image Details

Working with others is at the core of our operations. We develop many conservation projects across Florida with federal, state, and local agencies, industry and private groups, and individuals. Whether it is Everglades and coastal restorations, project planning, working with landowners, or conservation at multiple military facilities, among others, effective partnering delivers results. Learn more about our efforts currently underway.

Our Library

A sand skink displays a light tan color with spotting on its scales and a lateral strip on the snout. Its body shape is slender with reduced limbs. strip on the snout.
Project Guidelines for Florida Sand Skink & Blue-Tailed Skink
The sand skink and blue-tailed mole skink are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which protects them from harm. If you’re planning a project that might affect these species, you can legally do so, but only after talking to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Library Collection
1 Items
Two black-footed ferrets poke their heads out of black pipes lying in tall grass to examine the photographer
Threatened and Endangered Species
Here you can find resources from across the Fish and Wildlife Service about threatened or endangered species.
Library Collection
4 Items
A white sand beach alongside the Gulf
Restoring the Coasts
The Panhandle Dune Ecosystem Project aims to stabilize 21 linear miles of degraded dunes, protect rare beach mice, and act as a bulwark against ever-harsher storms.
Story
Habitat Restoration

Get Involved

Three people on a beach, kneeling around a partially excavated sea turtle nest
Image Details

A fundamental tenet in our approach to conservation is engagement with our community – from private landowners wanting to improve endangered species habitat on their land to non-profits doing on-the-ground work.

Location and Contact Information