It is Important to develop a logical framework for protecting wildlife and their habitats at the level of human communities.  Background materials to get started include (among other sources)

Designing Wildlife-Friendly Communities in Florida, from Wildlife Habitat Planning Strategies, Design Features and Best Management Practices for Florida Communities and Landowners

Community Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Framework and Principles from Wildlife Habitat Planning Strategies, Design Features and Best Management Practices for Florida Communities and Landowners

Envisioning and Planning Wildlife Friendly Communities from Wildlife Habitat Planning Strategies, Design Features and Best Management Practices for Florida Communities and Landowners

Also, other "Big Picture" background documents for Wildlife, habitat and Green Infrastrucuture

1. Green Infrastructure - The Conservation Fund Site
2. Greenprinting - Defined by the Trust for Public Land as a smart growth strategy that emphasizes land conservation to ensure quality of life, clean air and water, recreation, and economic health. Useful community process to help delimit desireable wildlife  and other conservation lands. The TPL document can be accessed below.

• Volume I: Using Land Conservation to Guide Growth and Preserve the Character of our Communities (5M PDF)
  Volume II: Defining a Conservation Vision (1M PDF)
  Volume III: Securing Conservation Funds (1M PDF)
  Volume IV: Acquiring and Managing Park and Conservation Land(1M PDF)
  Download Vol. I- IV (8M Zip file)
  

Resources
1.)  Florida Geoplan site about Greenways, what they are, types, structure and particular issues such as:  

• Property Owners & Tenant Concerns
• Economic Prosperity
• Recreational Access
• Sustainable Future
• Conserving Ecosystems
• Conserving Historical & Cultural Resources and,
• Working Landscapes.

2.) Florida DEP, Office of Greenways & Trails

The Office of Greenways & Trails (OGT) works to establish a statewide system of greenways and trails for recreational and conservation purposes.  Their efforts are guided by a legislatively adopted plan titled "Connecting Florida's Communities." View a summary of the plan (PDF 1.5 mb).

FUNDING
OGT provides grants for the development of both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail projects through the Recreational Trails Program.  They also administer the $4.5 million Florida Greenways and Trails Land Acquisition Program under the Florida Forever Act.

COORDINATION & DESIGNATION
OGT's Regional Greenways and Trails Coordinators (PDF 261 kb) work directly with local governments, developers, private landowners and state and federal agencies to facilitate the establishment of the statewide system of greenways and trails.  The Office also administers the Florida Greenways and Trails Designation Program which formally defines the statewide system through designation of public and private lands.

3.) Local Greenway Planning

Greenways for Wildlife - Greenways for Wildlife seeks to address this need by establishing design guidelines for greenways in the language of landscape and urban planners.  NC State University : Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources George R. Hess :Christopher E. Moorman.

4.) ECOLOGICAL DESIGN MANUAL FOR LAKE COUNTY, Prepared by the EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, DECEMBER 2001. THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN PREPARED WITH A GRANT FROM THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION, ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (FACEE).  The goal of this manual is to illustrate how development objectives and natural resource protection needs within a high-growth area can be addressed through the physical design of residential projects. Comment:  Good manul with descriptive graphics.

5. Principles of Wildlife Corridor Design -  by Monica Bond, Center for Biological Diversity, October 2003.  Summary: Wildlife corridors have been proposed as a means to moderate some of the adverse ecological effects of habitat fragmentation. This document discusses principles of evaluating and designing wildlife corridors to facilitate use by target species.

6. Planning and Development for People and Wildlife - By Donald L. Elliott, AICP, Vice President, Clarion Associates, Denver, Colorado. This is a Spring 1998 American Planning Association article.

7. Legal Authorities for Upland Habitat Protection in Florida - A good background on the basic legal framework can be found under Sections VI and VII of the paper, "THE GOPHER TORTOISE AND UPLAND HABITAT PROTECTION INFLORIDA LEGAL AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS"  Addresses local authorities, Comprehensive Plans and implementing Rule 9J-5, F.A.C. provisions among other authorities.

Related Topics

Wikipedia entry on Landscape Ecology