---
title: "Conservation Strategies for a Rare Ecosystem in Miami-Dade County"
slug: "conservation-strategies-rare-ecosystem"
tags: ["planning", "biodiversity", "ordinance", "protection"]
updated: 2022-01-13T22:11:55Z
published: 2022-01-13T22:11:55Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://fic.naturalareasnyc.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Conservation Strategies for a Rare Ecosystem in Miami-Dade County

Pine rocklands are a globally critically imperiled ecosystem with limited geographic range, characterized by a high biodiversity of endemic herbaceous plants and frequent fire intervals (2-5 years). In Miami-Dade County, approximately 2% of the forest outside Everglades National Park (ENP) remains. The County adopted a forest property tax program in 1979, passed a forest preservation ordinance in 1984, and created a land acquisition program in 1991. Filling in the gaps between preservation areas is critical for the survival of a number of species. This case study describes the ongoing outreach work.

### In a nutshell, this resource offers:

- Partnerships between government agencies and cultural institutions to conserve and preserve the rare pine rockland habitat type, including the [Connect to Protect Network](https://fairchildgarden.org/science-and-education/science/connect-to-protect/).
- A strategy to use already-existing regulations to enhance conservation and land acquisition.
- A list of approaches that were successful in conserving pine rockland habitat on private lands.

### How to use this resource:

- For ideas on how to conserve land through public acquisition and actions taken on private lands.
- As examples of tax breaks, covenants, and incentives to encourage conservation actions.

**Author:**James Duncan, Jennifer Possley, Janet Gil, Craig Grossenbacher

**Date published:**2020

**P****oint of contact:**James Duncan, Environmental Resources Project Supervisor, Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, [duncaj@miamidade.gov](mailto:duncaj@miamidade.gov)

**Citation:**Duncan, J.; Possley, J.; Gil, J.; and Grossenbacher, C. 2020. *Conservation Strategies for a Globally Imperiled and Hyper-Fragmented Ecosystem: Acquisition, Regulations, Incentives and Outreach in Miami-Dade County.* Cities and the Environment (CATE): Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 23.

[Resource is available online here](https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol13/iss1/23).

[PDF document](https://cdn.document360.io/18a9acd7-787d-47fa-9b54-01592bb1d507/Images/Documentation/Conservation%20Strategies%20for%20an%20Imperiled%20and%20Hyper-Fragmented%20Ecosystem.pdf)

## Related

- [Miami-Dade County's Management Plan for the Richmond Pine Rocklands](/miami-dade-management-plan-richmond-pine-rocklands.md)
- [Managing and Protecting the Richmond Pine Rockland Tract in Miami-Dade County, South Florida](/managing-protecting-richmond-pine-rockland-tract-in-miami-dade-county-south-florida.md)