The Caloosahatchee – Kissimmee Critical Linkage

The Caloosahatchee–Kissimmee Critical Linkage is a 550,000-acre inland corridor vital for Florida panther movement north of the Caloosahatchee River and for protecting the headwaters of the Everglades. The linkage encompasses the Fisheating Creek and Kissimmee River systems—two of Florida’s most important riverine landscapes—while surrounding ranchlands and dry prairies sustain biodiversity, hydrology, and rural economies. Other significant natural communities within the linkage include mesic flatwoods and scrub, particularly where it overlaps with the Lake Wales Ridge. Coordinated conservation across this landscape is essential to maintaining ecological and agricultural resilience in the heart of the peninsula.