Audubon Looks at Local, State, and Federal Solutions to Find Conservation Wins

The end of the year is a natural moment to take stock: What progress have we made? What more can we do for the places we love? For those looking to improve quality of habitat for birds and quality of life for our communities, Audubon has updates and opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels. 

Federal

With the federal government experiencing so much transition, it can be difficult to decide where to start or how to make the biggest impact for conservation in your community.

At our recent Assembly, Senior Director of Policy Beth Alvi framed the different roles we can take in these dynamic times.

Role: Memory-Keeper | Ensuring that lessons, practices, and the impacts of change aren’t forgotten—documenting today’s challenges while carrying forward proven conservation strategies.

Example: Land and habitat management: Documenting the effects of lapses in prescribed fire, sustainable forest management, and invasive species control— showing what is lost when management stalls and preserving proven methods so they can be reactivated without starting from scratch.

Role: Pacesetter | Leading by example—stepping in when federal capacity changes, modeling effective practices, and showing what is possible.

Examples: Pioneering recovery efforts for the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow—nest monitoring, predator management, and release of captive-reared birds —demonstrates that targeted, science-driven intervention can pull a species back from the brink. Preparing similar early interventions for the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, before population declines becomes irreversible.

Role: Convener | Building coalitions by bringing diverse voices together—expanding the conservation tent for stronger impact.

Example: Collaborating with NOAA and the National Estuarine Research Reserves on coastal resilience, sea-level rise, flooding, and water quality challenges across Florida. 

State and Local

Often the biggest opportunities to improve our landscape come at the state or local level. The Florida Legislative Session runs from January 13 through March 13, 2026, and committees have begun hearing bills. Many of the most consequential opportunities for conservation are emerging at this level.

Momentum is building around a bill filed by Florida Representative Kim Kendall (R-18).

After the public pushed back hard against last year’s attempted Guana River Wildlife Management Area land swap, it became clear that Floridians expect better.

HB 441 would require transparency, accountability, and meaningful public notice when proposals affect conservation lands. Importantly, Audubon is advocating that the bill makes the state present the ecological and financial justification for major land-use decisions—not just rely on claims from applicants.

We are grateful for this effort and look forward to working with the sponsors as the bill moves forward.

Audubon warned last year that SB 180 would weaken local control of growth management—and those concerns have proven justified.

This session, Audubon is engaged in efforts to fix the harmful provisions of SB 180. The bill blocks counties and cities from strengthening their land-use plans retroactively, voiding any “more burdensome” improvements to land-use plans and ordinances adopted after August 1, 2024. This effectively creates a statewide freeze on improving land-use standards through October 1, 2027, due to the past hurricane disaster declarations in 2024.

SB 180 also adds a new one-year freeze after every future hurricane for any community within 100 miles of each side of a storm’s track—that’s a 200-mile-wide swath likely to cover much of the state.

If these restrictions only applied to damaged homes and businesses needing reconstruction that might be understandable. However, they apply to all new developments that were never impacted by a hurricane.

Everglades restoration remains a race against time—to repair historic damage and to defend South Florida against rising seas and stronger storms. We have been fortunate that Everglades restoration has seen sustained funding for several years.

Beyond the Everglades, statewide conservation programs are feeling strain. Last year’s funding for Florida Forever was disappointingly low, and the program’s resources are dwindling. While we applaud strong investments in the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, Florida Forever is the tool that protects many of Florida’s most iconic landscapes—like the 21,600-acre addition to Goethe State Forest approved in November.

Five Tips for Making a Difference in Your Local Community

1. Understand the Landscape:  Learn how your local government works, including who decides what, how agendas move, and when public input is allowed. Know which existing rules already protect your local environment.
2. Engage Decision Makers: Build relationships early and show up consistently. Audubon members are encouraged to serve on local boards so your chapter becomes a trusted voice in key decisions.
3. Mobilize Your Community: Bring people together. Broad coalitions and trusted experts strengthen your case, especially when you connect the issue to shared community values.
4. Use Smart Advocacy Tactics: Support your position with credible information and practical alternatives. Simple, solution-focused messages make it easier for officials to act.
5. Plan and Persist: Plan for the long game. Stay engaged before, during, and after decisions. Celebrate small wins to keep volunteers energized for the work ahead.

This article was published in the Audubon Florida Naturalist Winter 2025 issue.