The Kissimmee-St. Johns-Ocala Critical Linkage

The Kissimmee–St. Johns–Ocala Critical Linkage covers one of the largest expanses of Priority One lands in the Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN) and Florida Wildlife Corridor, and represents the most critical viable large-scale natural and rural land thread connecting the southern and northern peninsula. This vast landscape spans the upper, middle, and lower St. Johns River basins—protecting the river’s headwaters and encompassing extensive ranchlands, wetlands, flatwoods, and other vital ecosystems. It supports flood control, water supply, and biodiversity for a rapidly growing region but is increasingly threatened by development, with accelerating fragmentation from urban and suburban expansion. Sustaining this linkage will require urgent, coordinated planning among conservation partners, local governments, and landowners.