UPDATE: The Friends of the Anclote River recently lost a lawsuit against the housing developer, Morgan Group.
The rise in housing developments is a growing concern for land conservation efforts.
For nearly two decades, a non-profit conservation group has been fighting to save a 74-acre plot of public land along the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs.
The Friends of Anclote River have filed three lawsuits to stop Morgan Group from building an 404-unit apartment complex on land that’s home to Florida’s wildlife.
If developments continue to rise there will be significant losses for Florida’s diverse species, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
This means that any remaining protected habitats will become more isolated from each other and make species of plants and animals more vulnerable to extinction.
Gopher tortoises, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, manatees, and birds like eagles, cranes and spoonbills reside there.
Despite the pressure, the conservation group says they will continue to protect and preserve the land they feel so deeply connected to.
