The Nature Conservancy develops roadmap for smart growth and sustainable development in Central Florida
The Osceola Greenprint is a free, interactive web-based tool that analyzes and maps environmental challenges and opportunities.
Media Contacts
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Carson Mitchell Peña
Communications Manager
The Nature Conservancy
Phone: 3523182945
Email: carson.pena@tnc.org
Quote: Christianah Oyenuga
“The Osceola Greenprint can help chart a resilient path forward for Osceola County."
Osecola County, FL - The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Florida has developed The Osceola Greenprint, a publicly available resource that helps users identify, map and understand the benefits of nature and natural infrastructure in Osceola County. The online tool analyzes and visualizes data and produces a downloadable report including layers for population growth and density, flooding risks, freshwater sources, construction permits and planned development, the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and more. With this information, decision-makers and the public can analyze the different environmental challenges that their communities face, informing land use decisions, growth and development and ultimately, community health and resilience to climate change impacts.
“The Osceola Greenprint can help chart a resilient path forward for Osceola County,” says Christianah Oyenuga, Ph.D., Sustainable Cities Manager, The Nature Conservancy in Florida.
“The tool can help us make decisions that will impact our future for decades to come. It reinforces the conservation of natural, agricultural and water resource lands to support rural economies, build resilient communities, improve habitat connectivity and protect freshwater and wildlife in Osceola County.”
The Osceola Greenprint is a resource for local decision-makers, including planners, government agencies, academic partners, community organizations and advocates and other users. As rapid growth and development impact Florida’s ecosystems, local leaders can use tools like Osceola Greenprint to grow smart and sustainably.
In November 2024, voters overwhelmingly approved the renewal of Osceola County’s environmentally sensitive lands program. Gaining 83% approval, the special property tax will protect lands from development by acquiring, managing, restoring and improving natural areas for protection of water quality, wildlife habitat and recreation. The tax-funded program has conserved 3,300 acres of land to protect water resources and preserve wildlife habitats, including areas such as Shingle Creek Regional Park and Lake Lizzie.
In adjacent Orange County, voters also solidified their rural boundaries, protecting nearly 350,000 acres from urban sprawl. In 2023, The Nature Conservancy in Florida developed the EcoResource of Orange County, a similar geospatial tool. Both tools pull together data from varying federal, state and local data to form one comprehensive map.
The Osceola Greenprint is a collaboration of The Nature Conservancy and GreenInfo Network. Funding for this project has been provided by ADS Foundation, Disney and Duke Energy Foundation. TNC thanks our partners for their insight and assistance: Alianza Center, Archbold Biological Station, Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Florida Native Plant Society—Pine Lily Chapter, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, Friends of Split Oak Forest, Osceola County and Sierra Club of Central Florida.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.