The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking meat processors and taxidermists from select counties to help test for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Partners in this program play a critical role in helping the FWC determine how many CWD-positive deer are in Florida and how much the disease has spread throughout the state. Meat processors selected for this program will receive $20 for each deer head submitted for testing, and taxidermists will receive $30 for each sample taken and submitted for testing.
Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-03 today, declaring a state of emergency across multiple counties in North Florida, including Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough and Holmes. This action comes in response to recent tornado activity affecting the region.
Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez announced today that registration for the 2024 Florida Python Challenge® is now open. Participants will have the opportunity to win a share of more than $25,000 in prizes for removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild. Starting today, those interested can complete the required online training to compete in the 10-day competition, which runs from August 9–18, 2024. The competition is open to both professional and novice participants.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) hosted a license-free freshwater fishing weekend on June 8 and 9. The event aimed to encourage Florida residents and visitors of all ages and skill levels to participate in recreational fishing.
Tallahassee, Fla. — January is National Radon Action Month, a period during which the Florida Department of Health announces the winners of the 2024 Florida Radon Poster Contest. This annual contest encourages middle-school students across Florida to create original designs and concepts to educate their communities about the health risks associated with elevated indoor radon levels.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the 2024 Lionfish Challenge, a summer-long lionfish tournament open to recreational and commercial competitors across Florida. Since its inception in 2016, the challenge has led to the removal of over 195,000 lionfish.
Measles cases in Broward County and a travel-related case in Central Florida have been reported to the Florida Department of Health (Department). Due to the highly contagious nature of measles, the Department is providing information to health care providers regarding the identification, testing, and management of suspected cases.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued its annual reminder that juvenile black bears may be seen in unexpected areas as they leave their mothers’ home ranges in search of new locations to settle. Spring marks an increase in bear activity after limited movements during winter.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program is currently accepting applications for a contracted nuisance alligator trapper in Martin County.
For over two decades, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Marine Stock Enhancement Research team has collaborated with school administrators, teachers, and students to integrate aquaculture and stock enhancement research into the classroom. The Aquaculture in the Classroom program targets students from fifth grade through college, teaching them basic principles of aquaculture, marine research, and the role of stock enhancement in supporting Florida’s marine fisheries.
The recreational harvest of gray triggerfish and greater amberjack in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters closed on June 1 and will remain closed through July 31. Seasonal harvest closures aim to conserve Florida’s valuable fisheries for the future.
Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Secretary Michelle Branham, and FIU Hospitality Professor and Chef John Noble Masi hosted a cooking class with Florida seniors.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) hosted Florida’s first Commercial Fishing Industry Summit in St. Augustine on May 21 and 22. The summit aimed to gather industry representatives to help develop a vision for the commercial fishing sector for the next five to ten years.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) School Fishing Club Program has announced J.W. Mitchell High School fishing team as the Grand Prize winner of its School Fishing Conservation Project Competition. The students engaged in various conservation activities, including cleaning local waterways and restoring aquatic habitats.
Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida's Toll Relief Program has saved nearly $42 million for over 1.2 million SunPass customers in its first month.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research to enhance international collaboration on harmful algal bloom management and response, including blue-green algae. This MOU is an outcome of the trade mission Governor DeSantis led to South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Israel aimed at expanding economic opportunities and collaboration.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed a proclamation today in Tallahassee, commemorating Florida’s observance of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied Invasion of occupied Northern France during World War II.
First Lady Casey DeSantis hosted a meeting with over 100 sheriffs, police chiefs, and other law enforcement officials to introduce new resources aimed at helping officers direct individuals to Hope Florida. This summer, law enforcement agencies will receive training on connecting those in need with a Hope Florida Navigator through the Hope Line.