About the
Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy

The Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy was formed in November, 1999 as a 501(c)(3) publicly supported non-profit charitable land trust by a small group of conservationists led by Dr. Peter Zimmer to conserve the lands and natural habitats that define the Choctawhatchee Basin and Coastal landscape of Northwest Florida. Meanwhile the Coastal Conservancy has expanded its scope to conserve threatened watersheds, coastal areas and waters world wide.

Our Mission: The mission of the Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy is to preserve for perpetuity the unique habitats, natural communities, and ecosystems of coastal, wetland and marine areas for present and future generations to enjoy through: the acquisition, holding, and managing of environmentally sensitive lands and archaeological sites; the establishment of nature preserves and native habitat sanctuaries for ecological, scientific, educational, cultural, aesthetic, historic, scenic or open space opportunities; the scientific study, protection and preservation of native marine, estuarine, littoral, sylvatic and miscellaneous other natural communities together with all individual living entities contained therein; and the protection and care of imperiled, abused, threatened or endangered individual animals, creatures, or otherwise threatened organisms. .

Our Land Trust: The Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy, which has its administrative seat in Okaloosa County, Florida, was originally founded with a focus on the protection of environmentally significant lands in Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa, and other Northwest Florida counties. We are a publicly supported organization. Tax-deductible contributions from individuals, foundations, land owners and businesses make our conservation work possible.

Habitat Preservation Strategies: The Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy uses modern GIS land assessment, coupled with field and documentary research to identify, document and prioritize environmentally significant lands. Once priority areas have been identified, the Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy works with property owners to develop individual strategies for combining natural resource conservation with private asset managment to provide property owners alternatives to high density development of their land. Another option is the establishment of conservation easements to provide perpetual restriction on development, while allowing the land to remain in private ownership. Frequently, this form of protection can provide income tax and estate tax benefits to landowners. Land purchases and bargain sales in collaboration with local governments, other non-profit conservation organizations and private individuals provide further attractive possibilities for land owners. Charitable Remaider Trusts and land donations to the Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy can also be a meaningful way for land donors to preserve environmentally significant lands for future generations.