The Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) was created in 1977 as an association of representatives from the local governments within its planning district. Membership of the Council includes the counties of Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla, and their 28 respective municipalities.

The ARPC is governed by a Board of Directors, which is composed of 31 members.  Each member county has three representatives, two of which are elected officials and one an apointee of the Governor. One elected official represents the respective county and one represents the municipalities within that county.  In addition, the ARPC Board includes three ex-officio, non-voting members representing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Transportaiton and the Northwest Florida Water Management District.  The Council operates a diversified array of programs and planning functions related not only to regional planning and growth management responsibilities as described in Chapters 163 and 186, Florida Statutes, but to a large variety of services which benefit its local governments. Professional and support personnel in various disciplines related to development and growth management staff these programs.

The Apalachee Region, located in the Florida panhandle, includes nine counties and 28 incorporated municipalities. The region extends from and includes Jefferson County on its eastern boundary to Jackson, Calhoun, and Gulf counties on the west. The region extends north to the Alabama and Georgia state lines and south to the Gulf of Mexico, taking in Gadsden, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla, and Franklin counties, as well.

The Apalachee Region contains 5,855 square miles, or 10.8 percent of the State's land area, with a population of 411,486 in 2000.  Predominantly rural in nature, the region's economy relies heavily on natural resources based industries such as forestry, fishing, and agriculture. Government and services sectors also play a significant role, with state agencies accounting for a major portion of the government employment. Efforts to encourage economic development and recruit businesses to the region are crucial to preserving and enhancing the region's quality of life.

The Apalachee region is also one of Florida's most picturesque areas. Its coastline ranges from beach and dune systems in the west to marsh and tidal flat systems in the east. The Apalachicola River and Bay has been identified as one of the most biologically productive estuarine systems in the state and nation. An abundance of wildlife, both game and non-game, as well as endangered and threatened animal and plant species are present in the region due to the productive habitat created by its heavy forestation and rural nature. There are also numerous resource based recreational opportunities within the region, including state parks, recreational areas, wilderness preserves, wildlife management areas, aquatic preserves and a host of designated canoe trails.

Population Growth Trends

Of the eleven regional planning councils in the state, the Apalachee Region is the least populous. The Region's population is approximately one-tenth the size of the state's most populous region, South Florida, with Apalachee having 2.6 percent of the state's population. The Apalachee Region has steadily declined as a percentage of the state's population: 7.4 percent in 1940 to 2.9 percent in 1980. Future projections estimate the Region to maintain roughly the same percentage as in 1990 through the year 2010.

According to the 1990 Census, the population of the Apalachee Region was 337,522 persons, or 2.6 percent of the state's total population. The 2000 estimates of population indicate that the regional population will be 390,321, and the population will be 438,393 by the year 2010. In actual numbers of people, the population of the Region has grown significantly in the last several decades. Although the Region has not seen the phenomenal growth experienced by much of the rest of the state, the rate of growth has increased steadily and is projected to do so well into the next century. However, the projected rate of growth for the Region for the next several decades will continue to be below that projected for the state. The Region has seen a 73.8 percent growth in population from 1960 to 1990, compared to 161.3 percent for the state during the same period.