As the sun rose over the central Florida prairie on July 16, a significant event in conservation history occurred with the release of the 1,000th conservation-bred Florida grasshopper sparrow into the wild. This milestone took place at Avon Park Air Force Range, accompanied by nine other sparrows.
Floridians who sustained losses from the severe storms and tornadoes on May 10 have one month remaining to apply for federal assistance. The deadline for applications is August 19, 2024.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced that the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement has arrested Tyler Stephen Meldrim, 23, in connection with a wildfire that occurred on April 27, 2024, in Santa Rosa County. Meldrim faces one count of Intentional Burning of Lands under Florida Statute 590.28, a third-degree felony.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has extended the application deadline for several water quality protection grants. The online grant portal will remain open until July 31, 2024, allowing eligible entities to submit proposals for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
The 2024 recreational bay scallop season for the Pasco Zone opens on July 10 and will remain open through August 18. This includes all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, including all waters of the Anclote River.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Brandon Graves, Frank Griffin, and Nicole Ramos Jones, as well as the reappointment of Prakash “Paul” Patel to the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced enforcement actions against Just Brands, LLC and High Roller Private Label, LLC for selling and manufacturing hemp products attractive to children in violation of s. 581.217(7), F.S. The actions include a five-year ban on the sale of any food products, including hemp products, in Florida for Just Brands, LLC; and a two-year ban on the manufacture of hemp gummies in Florida for High Roller Private Label, LLC.
Florida mother, grandmother, and Orlando resident Sharitta Grier was released on July 11, 2024, by the court in the Turks and Caicos Islands. She is the fourth and final American that was being held on ammunition possession charges.
Florida businesses and residents affected by severe storms and flooding from June 11-14 can now apply for low-interest disaster loans, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today. SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman made the loans available following a request from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on June 28 for a disaster declaration.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of a family farm through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. South Prong, a nearly 2,400-acre timber and hunting property in Baker County, is being preserved through a rural land protection easement for $4,999,000.
Florida businesses and residents affected by severe storms and flooding from June 11 to 14 are eligible for low-interest disaster loans, announced SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. The announcement follows a request from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on June 28 for an SBA disaster declaration.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been awarded three Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) by NOAA Fisheries to conduct studies aimed at collecting better data on Atlantic red snapper and other snapper-grouper species. These studies are intended to improve the management of these critical species in the South Atlantic.
FloridaCommerce has approved more than $2.1 million in funding through the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses affected by recent flooding in South Florida. To date, 66 businesses have been approved to receive these funds, which are designed to provide interim financial relief while they await other sources of funding, such as insurance payouts.
Tallahassee, Fla., July 8, 2024 – Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. announced the selected books for the Commissioner’s Book of the Month for July. This monthly reading challenge aims to promote literacy and reading engagement in preK-12 schools. Each month, Commissioner Diaz highlights five recommended books—one per selected grade range.
The court-appointed receiver continues to remove the soft materials associated with the previous Port Manatee Berth 12 dredging project from the NGS-South compartment. To date, more than 151,000 cubic yards have been removed for dewatering and consolidation.
Operation Dry Water (ODW) weekend will take place from July 4 through July 6. The national weekend of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) detection and enforcement aims to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related boating incidents and fatalities. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and other participating law enforcement agencies will work together to make Florida waterbodies safer by identifying and removing dangerous or impaired vessel operators.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the introduction of two new license hard card designs featuring student artwork from this year’s Florida State Fish Art Contest. Grace Wang’s depiction of a Florida bass and Emma Nemes’ representation of a snook were selected as the new freshwater and saltwater designs, respectively.