Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy

Our Mission

The Coastal Conservancy is a conservation organization working locally and around the world to protect ecologically important waters and lands for nature and people. The mission of The Coastal Conservancy is the conservation of plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the waters and lands essential to their survival.

About Us

The Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy was formed in November, 1999 as a 501(c)(3) publicly supported non-profit charitable land trust by a group of passionate conservationists to conserve the lands and natural habitats that define the Choctawhatchee Basin and Coastal landscape of Northwest Florida. Meanwhile, even as all coastal areas are interconnected through the global reach of the world's ocean waters, so to has the Coastal Conservancy expanded its scope to conserve diverse threatened watersheds, unique coastal areas and waters not just located directly in the Choctawhatchee Coastal region but also environmentally significant coastal areas in other parts the world.

Our mission 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
The protection and care of imperiled, abused, threatened or endangered individual animals, creatures, or otherwise threatened organisms
The protection and preservation of exceptionally unique scenic wonders and natural monuments such as the Coastal Dune Lakes with associated headwaters and outfalls
The protection and preservation of exceptional waters of the Choctawhatchee Basin including springs, streams, creeks, marsches, wetlands, bogs and estuaries

Conservation Work

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 management to provide property owners alternatives to high density development of their land.

Conservation Easements

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 Remainder Trusts

Charitable Remainder Trusts and Land Donations to the Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy are another mutually beneficial and very meaningful way for land donors to preserve biodiversity hotspots and environmentally significant lands for future generations.

Funding Coastal Conservation

By contributing to the Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy you can HELP to protect, restore and preserve our scenic wonders, susceptible open waters and delicate coastal habitats. Whether you love pristine beaches and wild surf or the wide open ocean, untamed wetlands and vibrant coastal areas teeming with life, you can be our partner in conservation.

NOW, more than ever, as we witness coastal degradation and habitat loss, the Choctawhatchee Coastal Conservancy needs your support. Even while monetary assets continue to lose in value and purchasing power the Emerald Coast's unique natural herritage becomes ever so more valuable.

Local Community Action

Mindful local citizens, captivated visitors and passionate conservationists all working together
through dedicated land stewardship, natural resource management and habitat preservation
to conserve the natural Coastal Wonders of the Chotawhatchee Basin for all perpetuity.