This dataset contains priority ecological resource areas as identified by the workshop of January 1991 sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, Florida Audubon Society and the Department of Natural Resources. The workshop consisted of a group of 40 experts in ecology, botany, zoology, geology, hydrology and land planning and management who were asked to identify their priority ecological resource areas on a series of maps. The final map which resulted from extensive debate and revision, identifies three categories of land: existing public land and private conservation areas; recommended P-2000 acquisition areas; and areas of conservation interest where less-than-fee-simple techniques should be used in addition to puchase. The conservation interest areas are not propesed for acquisition, but represent landscapes of mixed land use where compatible activities such as forest land, range land, public land, low intensity agriculture and some urban areas should be integrated properly to allow ecosystems to sustain an adequate level of functional stability and to provide connecting habitat corridors for the movement of species and maintenance of biological diversity.
This dataset was produced only as a tool to be used in identifying ecologically significant areas as determined by this group of individuals. Over time, it is anticipated that other experts will add to, delete or otherwise modify the data to reflect a wider range of perspectives on priority ecological resources.
The user can use either PRIORITY or INTEREST for shading. The reason that there are two attributes for the same purpose is that in some parts of the data there is a slight overlap between the priority ecological resource conservation areas and the conservation interest areas
Scale is an important factor in data usage. Certain scale data sets are not suitable for some projects, analysis, or modeling purposes. Please be sure you are using the best available data.
1:24000 scale data sets are recommended for projects that are at the county level. 1:24000 data should NOT be used for high accuracy base mapping such as property parcel boundaries.
1:100000 scale data sets are recommended for projects that are at the multi-county or regional level. 1:250000 scale data sets are recommended for projects that are at the regional or state level or larger.