NAPLES, Fla ( February 5, 2010) – WilsonMiller provided ecological and lead permitting services through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Panther Passage Conservation Bank, a 4,009-acre habitat conservation bank located in Hendry County, Florida. Establishment of this Conservation Bank represents an excellent opportunity to conserve highly valuable biological resources.  The Conservation Bank will provide permanent conservation and management of vital habitat for the federally-listed Puma concolor coryi (Florida panther).

According to Tim Durham, P.E., Senior Vice President for WilsonMiller, “This is the first conservation bank that is located within the panther ‘Dispersal Zone’.  The panther ‘Dispersal Zone’ has been identified as critical to the survival of the Florida panther due to its unique location in the landscape.  The significance of this zone is that it connects the panther core population in south Florida to panther habitat north of the Caloosahatchee River.  Without this zone the Florida panther recovery efforts would be threatened”.

A habitat conservation bank generates “credits” through habitat restoration, placement of a conservation easement and perpetual management of the property to the benefit of panthers.  Both public and private sector projects with unavoidable impacts to panther habitat that must be compensated can purchase these credits from the bank to offset their impacts.

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WilsonMiller guided the client through a complicated federal permitting process in a rapid and efficient manner in which the landowner receives compensation for conserving private lands that perform a valuable public service.

About WilsonMiller:

WilsonMiller, Inc. is a multidisciplinary planning, design, and engineering firm with a history of more than 50 years in professional consulting. The firm offers a single source of diverse services for land management, infrastructure, transportation, and environmental projects to public and private clients in Florida and beyond. WilsonMiller ranks among the top 225 design firms in the United States, according to Engineering News-Record’s 2009 list. For more information, call 239) 649-4040 or visit WilsonMiller’s website, www.wilsonmiller.com.