Alternative Text Description for Florida Forever BOT Projects

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the boundaries of Florida Forever BOT Projects across the state of Florida. These projects represent lands proposed or approved for environmental acquisition by the State's Acquisition and Restoration Council due to their outstanding natural resources, recreational opportunities, or historical and archaeological significance. The map shows the complete project boundaries for all current Florida Forever projects administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of State Lands, including both acquired and proposed acquisition areas.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, extending from the panhandle region in the northwest near Pensacola and Tallahassee, south through the Florida peninsula to the Miami area and the Florida Keys. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville in the northeast, Orlando in the central region, Tampa and St. Petersburg on the west coast, and Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and West Palm Beach in the southern portion. The map shows both the Atlantic Ocean coastline on the east and the Gulf of America coastline on the west and south. Northern border areas near Georgia and Alabama are visible, including cities like Albany, Dothan, and Valdosta.

KEY INSIGHTS

Florida Forever BOT Projects are distributed throughout the state with notable concentrations in several regions. The panhandle region shows significant clustering of project areas, particularly around Tallahassee and extending westward toward Pensacola. The northeast coastal area near Jacksonville displays substantial project presence. Central Florida around the Orlando and Lakeland areas contains numerous scattered project sites. Southwest Florida, particularly around Cape Coral and extending southward, shows dense concentrations of project boundaries. Coastal areas generally show higher densities of projects compared to interior regions, though significant inland projects are present throughout the state. The spatial pattern suggests a focus on protecting both coastal ecosystems and interior natural resource areas.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Florida Forever BOT Projects

This layer represents the geographic boundaries of environmental land acquisition projects approved for state protection and management.

Florida Forever BOT Projects (orange polygons)

Appearance:

Bright orange polygons of varying sizes and shapes displayed against a gray base map showing Florida's outline and major geographic features.

Distribution:

Projects are distributed statewide with concentrations along coastal regions, in the panhandle, around major metropolitan areas, and throughout the central peninsula. Project sizes range from small parcels to extensive multi-county areas.

Notable locations:

Spatial patterns:

Projects frequently follow natural corridors including coastal areas, likely wetland and watershed boundaries, and appear to create connected networks of protected lands in some regions. Many projects are positioned to protect shoreline areas along both the Atlantic coast and Gulf of America coast. Inland projects often appear in clusters suggesting protection of interconnected ecological systems or natural resource corridors. The distribution pattern indicates strategic placement to protect diverse Florida ecosystems from coastal marshes to inland forests and wetlands.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The boundaries shown on this map represent the entire extent of each Florida Forever BOT project area, including portions that have already been acquired by the state as well as areas proposed for future acquisition. This map specifically displays only projects administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of State Lands, for the State Board of Trustees. Florida Forever projects managed by water management districts or other state agencies are not included in this representation. The map provides a comprehensive view of state conservation priorities and land protection efforts across Florida's diverse ecosystems and natural resource areas.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data are maintained by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of State Lands, representing the inventory of all current Florida Forever environmental land acquisition projects approved by the State's Acquisition and Restoration Council and administered for the State Board of Trustees. Data source layer name: FL_FOREVER_DEC25.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied to this map view.

Scale Information:

The map displays a statewide view of Florida showing all Florida Forever BOT projects across the entire state extent.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The data are current as of December 2025. The FFBOT data are updated approximately every two to four months to reflect new project approvals and boundary modifications.

Limitations:

The boundaries shown represent complete project areas and do not distinguish between lands already acquired and lands proposed for future acquisition. Projects administered by water management districts or other state agencies beyond the Division of State Lands are not included in this dataset. Users should verify current acquisition status for specific parcels as the map shows planning boundaries rather than ownership status.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida from the panhandle region bordering Alabama and Georgia in the north to the southern tip of the peninsula and the Florida Keys, showing all Florida Forever BOT project boundaries statewide.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.