Renzo Downey
A bill allowing the use of drones to mitigate wildfires and eradicate invasive plants and animals garnered unanimous support on its way to the Senate floor Monday.
The proposal (SB 822), filed by Sen. Ben Albritton, pushes for greater drone authorization for Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Forest Service to combat pythons and fire threats on public land. With little time for debate in the Senate Rules Committee, the Wauchula Republican offered a brief explanation for his proposal:
“It allows Fish and Wildlife and Florida Forest Service to use drones for specified purposes.”
Companion legislation (HB 659) by Jacksonville Republican Rep. Jason Fischer unanimously passed the House on Wednesday. It received unanimous approval in all three of its committee stops.
“Currently, in the state of Florida, we are facing an epidemic of invasive species destroying our local ecosystems, including the Everglades,” Fischer said.
Albritton’s bill also pulled unanimous support in earlier committees.
In a January committee meeting, the Senator offered two examples of invasive species control that could be assisted with drones: lygodium, also known as old world climbing fern, and pythons.
“I’ve flown over in a helicopter and it was pretty easy to discern where it is. It shows up lime green. Maybe not lime green, but almost a neon green. … So the drone could make a discernment between the colors of where this old world climbing fern was, so they could measure and identify places where it pops up,” Albritton said.
The Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association has historically supported the measure.
Another first responder drone-use bill (HB 1433), submitted by Jacksonville Republican Rep. Clay Yarborough, awaits preliminary approval from the full House. That bill and Sarasota Republican Sen. Joe Gruters‘ companion legislation (SB 520) would authorize drones for some law enforcement purposes.
The wider application of drones has spurred more innovative use of the airborne technology, but also stirs concern of a growing surveillance state.
Lawmakers backing the legislation have seen little pushback from colleagues, and argued innovations simply provide more tools for agencies of all local government to employ in their public good missions.
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Florida Politics reporter Jacob Ogles contributed to this post.
