FWC SETS FEB. 2-4 MEETING IN PANAMA CITY BEACH
January 21, 2005
Contacts: (wildlife and aquatic issues) Henry Cabbage (850) 488-4676
(marine issues) Lee Schlesinger (850) 487-0554
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet at Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach on Feb. 2-4.
Wednesday’s (Feb. 2) agenda is dominated by wildlife and freshwater fisheries rule-making. The Commission will hold final public hearings on rules relating to hunting and wildlife issues that:
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Ban importation of deer or elk carcasses from areas known to be infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) and make it illegal to possess a CWD-infected carcass. |
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Establish new procedures for application, selection and issuance of quota hunt permits, antlerless deer permits and special-opportunity hunt permits. |
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Modify requirements for issuance of antlerless deer permits issued for crop depredation control on agricultural lands. |
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Establish a spring turkey season in Holmes County. |
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Allow the lead managing agency or landowner of a wildlife management area (WMA) or wildlife and environmental area (WEA) to issue access-related permits not related to taking fish and wildlife during non-hunting periods. |
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Modify specific area regulations for WMAs in the Northwest, North central, Northeast, Southwest and South regions. These regulations cover a variety of issues including establishing, removing or changing hunting seasons, bag limits, activities not related to taking fish or wildlife, possession of dogs and public or vehicular access within a WMA. |
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Prohibit hunting on a portion of Lake Seminole adjacent to a camping area. |
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Allow two existing private hunting preserves to continue limited mallard releases. |
The Commission will hold final public hearings on proposed freshwater fishing rules that would eliminate the minimum length limit on black crappie on Lake Monroe, modify fishing regulations on Eglin Air Force Base WMA and establish guidelines for the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Grants Program and the State Wildlife Grants Program.
The Commission will also hold final public hearings to modify numerous freshwater fishing rules to regulate the sale and transportation of fish and the establishment and operation of aquaculture facilities. The proposed changes are designed to consolidate and simplify Commission rules and reduce duplication of regulatory roles between the FWC and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Staff will present a preliminary report on the deer-dog registration program and provide recommendations for increasing penalties for repeated dog-hunting violations.
The Commission will wrap up Wednesday’s meeting with a review and discussion of a proposal to allow crossbows during archery and/or muzzleloading gun seasons.
Thursday’s (Feb. 3) agenda begins with a review and discussion of a draft rule to revise the FWC imperiled species listing process and an update on the comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy. The proposed changes to the imperiled species listing process would strengthen the current procedures by incorporating the latest criteria and guidelines developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), providing IUCN training for staff and involving a biological review panel in the evaluation process.
Commissioners then will move on to address items relating to
marine fisheries management, including a final public hearing on a proposed
rule to establish a two-fish per vessel possession limit for permit and
pompano larger than 20 inches in fork length in state and federal waters,
effective July 1.
The Commission also will hold final public hearings on proposed rules to
establish numerous marine fisheries regulations (that are currently located
in Florida Statutes) as FWC rules and to incorporate constitutional and
statutory net-fishing provisions into FWC rules and create net-measurement
procedures and net-construction specifications.
In other marine fisheries action, the Commission will review and discuss black sea bass trap marking and endorsement concepts, the Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery, a draft rule to establish a blue crab effort management plan, ways to measure the length of marine fish, net gear specification rules and various federal fisheries management issues.
Thursday’s meeting also will include a review and discussion of proposed changes to the Uniform Waterways Markers in Florida rule.
Friday’s (Feb. 4) agenda includes discussion of possible changes to the agenda-planning process and an update on the Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. all three days. The Edgewater Beach Resort is at 11212 Front Beach Rd. The conference room, in which the meeting will be held, is at 520 Beckrich Rd.
FWC meetings are open to the public. Any person requiring
special accommodations to participate in this meeting should advise the
agency at least five calendar days before the meeting by calling (850)
488-6411. Hearing- or speech-impaired persons can arrange assistance by
calling (850) 488-9542.
You can download a copy of the February meeting agenda and background
materials at MyFWC.com/commission.
KDJ/CR
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