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Staff ReportsNovember 6, 2017

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chair Brian Yablonski is leaving Florida to become executive director of the Property and Environment Research Center based in Bozeman, Montana. Founded in 1980, PERC is a national conservation research institute that focuses on entrepreneurship and market-based solutions to environmental problems. Yablonski replaces Reed Watson, who is leaving […]

Staff ReportsAugust 28, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott on Monday said he’s sending more Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers and resources to Houston to help Houston after its soaking by Hurricane Harvey. “These officers and resources will be assisting with ongoing search and rescue and disaster response efforts,” a press release said. “Gov. Scott spoke with Texas […]

Associated PressJuly 4, 2017

A large stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast is open for recreational scalloping. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission opened an area from St. Vincent Island in Franklin County to the Pasco and Hernando County line to recreational scalloping over the weekend. A recreational salt water fishing license is required to gather bay scallops, and […]

Staff ReportsApril 19, 2017

Florida animal welfare activists are calling Gov. Rick Scott to appoint a non-hunter to a vacancy on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). On Wednesday, the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) ran an advertisement in the Tallahassee Democrat urging Scott to appoint either a nature photographer, a bird-watcher, or an individual with […]

Guest AuthorApril 10, 2017

Florida’s black bears are once again under threat of trophy hunters invading their forest homes and shooting them for no reason. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may revisit the issue of a Florida statewide hunt on black bears, and it is time for citizens to let them know we want our bears protected […]

Terry RoenFebruary 20, 2017

Florida manatees are thriving during this warm, sunny winter. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) count found the highest number of sea cows since 1991 and the third straight year of a minimum count greater than 6,000 during its annual flyover of popular manatee spots. A team of 15 observers from 10 organizations […]

Associated PressJanuary 5, 2017

A record number of endangered Florida panthers died again last year — 42 of the remaining big cats were killed, matching the 2015 record. Thirty-four were hit by vehicles in southwest Florida, where development is shrinking what’s left of their habitat. The tally kept by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission includes six new […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 3, 2017

The tegu lizard is dead to Frank Artiles. The Republican state senator from Miami-Dade County filed legislation (SB 230) Tuesday to eradicate the non-native reptile tegu from Florida. The lizard is “decimat(ing) the fauna and flora of the Everglades and other natural areas and ecosystems in the southern and central parts of this state at […]

Jim RosicaDecember 5, 2016

A former officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is suing for his job back, saying he was fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle on wrongdoing. Travis Hooker filed suit last week in Leon County Circuit Civil Court under the state’s whistleblower law. The decorated combat Marine, who was stationed in Iraq, was a lieutenant in the FWC’s […]

Peter SchorschOctober 11, 2016

Remember the “deer dog” case? This is the one where several families were having their lives disrupted because a group of hunters in the Panhandle was allowing hounds-in-pursuit-of-deer to trample across private property. It’s a quirky case. The Blackwater Wildlife Management Area (BWMA) is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) and, […]

Tag: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
As dean of Anne’s College since 2018, Damon Andrew has led the college to new heights, including the creation of new academic programs, faculty lines and funding opportunities. (Colin Hackley)

FWC chair Brian Yablonski to join Montana-based environmental think tank

Rick Scott sends more help to Texas

Florida opens large stretch of Gulf Coast for scalloping

Newspaper ad calls on Governor to appoint non-hunter to state wildlife agency

Kate MacFall: Florida black bears under threat again, for no reason

Aerial survey shows increasing manatee count

Florida panther deaths still at record-high for 2016

Frank Artiles takes on the tegu

Ex-FWC officer sues for job back under ‘whistleblower’ law

FWCC judicial beat down in ‘deer dog’ case