Eric Tillman
FDOT releases interactive Statewide Wildlife ...
Eric Tillman
For translocated Florida tortoises, survival is ...

The Wildlife Society’s Joshua Rapp reports on a recently published study where researchers “tracked the survival rates of gopher tortoises translocated to Nokuse, a 55,000-acre property on the Florida Panhandle near Panama City that hosts reintroduced gopher tortoises moved as mitigation measures and conducts longleaf pine restoration and other conservation work”. Click HERE to read the story.

Eric Tillman
FWC's summer wild turkey survey is underway - ...

Help biologists learn more about Florida’s wild turkey populations by reporting all wild turkeys you see during your normal daily activities from June 1 to Aug. 31.

We’re interested in sightings of hens with and without poults (young wild turkeys), and male birds (jakes and gobblers) from all regions of the state, including rural and developed areas. When reporting numbers of poults, be sure to look carefully because young birds may be difficult to see in tall grass or brush.

The Sunshine State is home to healthy wild turkey populations. They occur throughout Florida and prefer open forests and forest edges and openings. Our biologists conduct this survey each year to learn more about annual nesting success, brood survival, and distribution and abundance of wild turkeys.

Learn more about the FWC’s summer wild turkey survey.

Report your wild turkey sightings online: bit.ly/3qtVbVF OR by using the Survey123ArcGIS app: bit.ly/3OVVP8n

Eric Tillman
FL Governor and Cabinet approve investment in ...

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet approved an investment to protect nearly 28,000 acres of Florida’s natural lands and link existing conservation areas. Today’s actions also mark the first acquisition within the Caloosahatchee-Big Cypress Corridor, an important Everglades and panther habitat.

Click this news item to read more.

Eric Tillman
FWC Unveils Interactive Wildlife Management ...

With more than 6 million acres of state-managed conservation lands, options for experiencing wild Florida can be difficult to narrow down. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proud to announce the WMA Recreation Finder, an interactive virtual map for Florida residents and visitors looking to find their perfect outdoor experience on public lands. Click this story to read more.

FDOT releases interactive Statewide Wildlife Crossings Map

News release from FDOT, Dec. 19th 2024

The FDOT Office of Environmental Management is excited to announce the release of our new, interactive Statewide Wildlife Crossing Map including photo galleries at crossings where cameras have been deployed.

For those of you familiar with the District 1 Google map and photos, this is a similar concept. We thank Brent Setchell for leading the way with his map and sharing his expertise to develop the statewide map. We also acknowledge the various partners such as USFWS, FGCU Wings of Hope Panther Posse, fStop Foundation, and Dr. Dan Smith for their photo and video contributions over the years. We welcome the continued sharing of pictures and videos to enhance the content of the new site from all of our partners.

Click HERE to open the map

As a quick tutorial, once you open the map, zoom in on a wildlife crossing of interest and click the dot. A box of attributes for that crossing will appear. If that crossing has a photo gallery, “View” will appear next to “Wildlife Photos”. Click the “View” link which will take you to the Google photo gallery (you might have to click past a warning (if allowed) if you are on a government computer).

We hope you enjoy exploring the map and photos. Please feel free to share with your colleagues, family, and friends.

For translocated Florida tortoises, survival is troublingly low

The Wildlife Society’s Joshua Rapp reports on a recently published study where researchers “tracked the survival rates of gopher tortoises translocated to Nokuse, a 55,000-acre property on the Florida Panhandle near Panama City that hosts reintroduced gopher tortoises moved as mitigation measures and conducts longleaf pine restoration and other conservation work”. Click HERE to read the story.

FWC's summer wild turkey survey is underway - Report sightings!

Help biologists learn more about Florida’s wild turkey populations by reporting all wild turkeys you see during your normal daily activities from June 1 to Aug. 31.

We’re interested in sightings of hens with and without poults (young wild turkeys), and male birds (jakes and gobblers) from all regions of the state, including rural and developed areas. When reporting numbers of poults, be sure to look carefully because young birds may be difficult to see in tall grass or brush.

The Sunshine State is home to healthy wild turkey populations. They occur throughout Florida and prefer open forests and forest edges and openings. Our biologists conduct this survey each year to learn more about annual nesting success, brood survival, and distribution and abundance of wild turkeys.

Learn more about the FWC’s summer wild turkey survey.

Report your wild turkey sightings online: bit.ly/3qtVbVF OR by using the Survey123ArcGIS app: bit.ly/3OVVP8n

FWC Unveils Interactive Wildlife Management Area Recreation Finder

With more than 6 million acres of state-managed conservation lands, options for experiencing wild Florida can be difficult to narrow down. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proud to announce the WMA Recreation Finder, an interactive virtual map for Florida residents and visitors looking to find their perfect outdoor experience on public lands. Click this story to read more.

FWC's summer wild turkey survey is underway - Report sightings!

Help biologists learn more about Florida’s wild turkey populations by reporting all wild turkeys you see during your normal daily activities from June 1 to Aug. 31.

We’re interested in sightings of hens with and without poults (young wild turkeys), and male birds (jakes and gobblers) from all regions of the state, including rural and developed areas. When reporting numbers of poults, be sure to look carefully because young birds may be difficult to see in tall grass or brush.

The Sunshine State is home to healthy wild turkey populations. They occur throughout Florida and prefer open forests and forest edges and openings. Our biologists conduct this survey each year to learn more about annual nesting success, brood survival, and distribution and abundance of wild turkeys.

Learn more about the FWC’s summer wild turkey survey.

Report your wild turkey sightings online: bit.ly/3qtVbVF OR by using the Survey123ArcGIS app: bit.ly/3OVVP8n

FWC evaluates trapping rules, seeks public input

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission sent this bulletin at 11/17/2021 12:59 PM EST

For Immediate release: Nov. 17, 2021
Contact: Carli Segelson, 772-215-9459, Carli.Segelson@MyFWC.com
Michelle Kerr, 727-282-7642, Michelle.Kerr@MyFWC.com

Suggested Tweet: To modernize, align with @FishWildlife best management practices, @MyFWC is evaluating trapping rules. Public feedback welcome. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLFFWCC/bulletins/2fca46b #Florida

FWC evaluates trapping rules, seeks public input

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking public feedback as staff begin to evaluate rules addressing regulated wildlife trapping. Staff are exploring possible changes to modernize trapping rules to align with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ best management practices in support of species-specific and humane trapping methods.

Help with skunk conservation; report sightings to the FWC

Help with skunk conservation; report sightings to the FWC

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has launched a new community science project aimed at learning more about Florida’s skunk populations.

The Sunshine State is home to two species of skunks, the striped skunk and the smaller eastern spotted skunk. Both are thought to be found throughout the state and biologists are hoping to involve the public in collecting observations to learn more about the distribution of both species and the types of habitats in which they are found.

What is the future of Florida's wildlife resources over the next 20 years?

Anybody that breathes air, drinks water, swims, fishes, hunts, enjoys wildlife watching or just visiting state and national parks should be concerned about the environmental setbacks that have occurred during the last few years. Wildlife and fish populations will likely decline from increased pollution and habitat destruction resulting from reduced protection for our waterways and public lands.

Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program (EELP) staff succinctly describe the history of more than 80 critically important environmental rollbacks, including current status on EELP's website: https://eelp.law.harvard.edu/regulatory-rollback-tracker/.

FWC requests public input on venomous reptile rules

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants to know the attitude of the public regarding the possession and management of venomous reptiles by zoos, as well as individual residents in their homes. FWC Captive Wildlife staff was directed by the Commission in November 2015 to evaluate existing regulations and develop a range of regulatory options for the Commission’s consideration. In order to effectively receive information and direction from the public, the agency has developed an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/VR-Rule, and will be accepting survey responses and recommendations through July 27, 2016.

Funds Restore Longleaf Pine, Endangered Species Habitat in Florida

Gainesville, Fla., Jan. 14, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 115 high-impact projects across all 50 states, including Florida, will receive more than $370 million as part of the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program, administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service .  

The program’s public-private partnership enables companies, communities and other non-government entities to further conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife on a regional scale. Partners provide matching funding, with the total budget to be spent in five years. 

TWS Action Alert: Support the Duck Stamp Bill

The House passed a bill (H.R.5069) in November that would increase the price of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps-better known as Ducks Stamps-from $15 to $25. Duck Stamps are permits required to hunt waterfowl in the United States, and the revenue collected from their sale goes straight to wetland conservation through land purchases and easements. Many National Wildlife Refuges were funded in part or in full by Duck Stamp revenue.

Be a Hero! Help rescue manatees, sea turtles by getting FWC decals

“Be a Hero!” by getting decals that help with the research, rescue, rehabilitation and management of Florida’s endangered manatees and sea turtles.

People can receive a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) manatee or sea turtle decal, and show their support for saving these iconic Florida species, with a donation of $5.

Rescues of manatees and sea turtles that are injured, ill or otherwise in distress are one of the many FWC conservation activities supported by decal donations.

The new editions of the decals are originally designed works of art, and available now at local tax collectors’ offices across the state and at MyFWC.com.

Help the FWC locate rare upland birds

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) requests the public’s help in locating three species of rare birds during their breeding seasons. The southeastern American kestrel, the burrowing owl and the painted bunting are rare and declining species that are often overlooked by traditional monitoring programs such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

Florida's water set to become big issue of 2015

Florida's water set to become big issue of 2015

Audubon Florida has a detailed synopsis of the 2014 Florida legislative session with regards to wildlife and conservation issues. 

Some highlights:

"From the beginning of session and all throughout, we heard that next year will be the year for water policy issues as the incoming leadership prefers to address those important topics at the 2015 Session. "

"The 2014 Legislative Session brought out many new supporters as Senators and Representatives alike began to understand the need to address some of the state’s critical water quality problems.

FWC recognizes wildlife scientist with Louise Ireland Humphrey Achievement Award

Meeting today at the Florida Public Safety Institute near Tallahassee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recognized wildlife scientist Joan Berish with the 2013 Louise Ireland Humphrey Achievement Award.

Berish, who has worked for the FWC more than 33 years and lives in Gainesville, has been at the forefront of work involving conserving and managing gopher tortoises, a listed species in Florida. Berish’s work has benefited not only gopher tortoises but also a host of other species that live in and are dependent on active gopher tortoise burrows to survive.

TWS Action Alert: Support Wildlife Funding!

In March, the President released his request for FY 2015 federal budget levels. Over the next several weeks, Congress will consider this request and develop spending bills to fund the government in FY 2015.
 
The majority of wildlife and natural resources conservation programs received stable or increased funding in the President's budget, with increases to the overall budgets of the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Geological Survey. However, a few critical programs did not. For example, the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program (SWG) would see a 15% decrease in funding from the FY14 level of $58.7 million to only $50 million under the President's budget. This key program has, for ten years, provided states and tribes the resources to support and implement wildlife conservation programs to keep non-game species off of the endangered species list.

State of the Everglades Report Now Available

 

Audubon continues to define Everglades success as bringing back the birds and wildlife that were so naturally abundant in the River of Grass. These species serve as an indicator for all of the other benefits to the natural environment, aquifer recharge, and economic prosperity that restoration can also produce.

The recent operationalizing of the Tamiami Trail bridge and the C-111 Spreader Canal project bring us closer to mimicking the natural water flow patterns that have been altered by human infrastructure.