1000 Friends of Florida will, with a coalition of willing public and private partners (1) assess local land use plans' effectiveness in protecting threatened natural communities, (2) identify priority communities and non-governmental organizations that will use information to be provided for strengthening local plans, and (3) provide leadership training/capacity building for selected organizations within the region to ensure better land use plans needed to complement land acquistion efforts by other organizations.

Project Goals: 1. Prevent inappropriate growth and development from impacting sensitive natural areas in the Red Hills/St. Marks River Eco-Region, the Apalachicola Eco-Region and the Gulf Coastal Plain Eco-Region, with improved local land use planning that includes smart growth principles in coordination with other land acquisition and easement programs. 2. Improve the capacity of public interest groups, citizen organizations and local and state officials to influence land use decisions by providing better environmental and cost of development information through polls, special studies, and workshops. 3. Encourage the formation of business and environmental coalitions that coordinate appropriate economic development with natural resource protection.

The Florida Panhandle Initiative will promote improved land use planning by developing better information and materials that citizens and elected and appointed officials can use to bring about positive, smart growth improvements. This will lead to better protection of natural systems within the target areas.

The Florida Panhandle presents a unique opportunity for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF). This 11,000 square mile area has the highest stream density in the state and three of Florida's five largest rivers. With agricultural and timber economies in the interior, significant federal and state ownership in forests and military bases, and resort development pressures on the coast, the region is just beginning to feel the effects of sprawl and habitat fragmentation.

In each of the three eco-regions--the Gulf Coastal Plain, Apalachicola Bay, and Red Hills--change is coming. Two of the fastest growing counties in the Gulf Coastal Plain, Okaloosa and Walton, face coastal development, accelerated erosion, and sprawl which threaten the natural sandhill community and longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem that remain here. In the Apalachicola Eco-Region, the Apalachicola Bay supports 90% of Florida's commercial oyster fishery and one third of the shrimp harvest - it continues to be threatened by increased water demands from the Atlanta metro area and from impacts from upland farming areas in Georgia and Alabama.The Red Hills/St. Marks River Eco-Region is threatened by continuing population growth in the Tallahassee-Thomasville urban areas. Urban growth is projected to be significant in this portion of the eco-region and has begun to impact adjacent counties.

Although each community in the area has a state certified plan and implementing land development regulations, there is a critical need to update and improve these land management tools to support and complement natural resource protection efforts. Our challenge is to work with citizens, elected and appointed officials, and landowners so that important ecological areas can be protected and long term development patterns improved.

1000 Friends of Florida is uniquely positioned to take a leadership role in assessing and implementing growth management strategies and plans in the Florida Panhandle. Over the past few years, 1000 Friends has developed and presented a number of workshops for citizens and local government planners in the Florida Panhandle. These workshops have focused on effective community planning, including historic preservation, affordable housing and community redevelopment. In addition, we have provided direct, targeted technical assistance to North Florida communities through our Florida Waterfronts Partnership which melds environmental resource protection with the revitalization of declining waterfront areas. 1000 Friends is ready to begin the Florida Panhandle Initiative, and work with a dedicated group of active land acquisition, conservation, and land use partners, both in Georgia and Florida.