The Awful Reason Florida Is Bulldozing One of the World’s Rarest Forests

The lush tropical canopies of pine rocklands exist only in South Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas. But soon the Sunshine State will lose some of its remaining tracts of the imperiled ecosystem in Miami-Dade County, expelling wildlife and rare flora to make room for a new tenant: Walmart.

This month the University of Miami sold 88 acres of rockland to Ram, a Palm Beach County–based developer known for building strip malls and residential complexes. The Miami Herald reports that the company has allotted space for 900 apartments and 185,000 square feet for a Walmart, in addition to a Chick-fil-A, a Chili’s, and a fitness center.

Before the sale, the university and the developer agreed to preserve 40 acres of rockland. For environmentalists, it’s not nearly enough.

http://news.yahoo.com/awful-reason-why-florida-bulldozing-one-world-rarest-213040353.html