FWC SETS APRIL 14-15
MEETING IN TALLAHASSEE
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 the Ramada Inn and Conference Center at 2900 N. Monroe St. in Tallahassee on April 14-15.
Thursdays (April 14) agenda is dominated by wildlife and freshwater fisheries issues. The Commission will conduct final public hearings on rules relating to the San Pedro Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that reduce the quota of recreational-use permits and establish a still-hunt area on a 7,481-acre portion of that WMA, which is currently hunted with deer-dogs.
The Commission will also conduct final public hearings on rules to revise the FWC imperiled species listing process. Proposed changes would strengthen 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 requiring an independent scientific review in the evaluation process.
Commissioners will also address several boating issues. The Commission will conduct final public hearings on rules to revise standards for boating safety courses and re-establish and modify manatee-protection speed zones in Lee County, including a new zone in a portion of San Carlos Bay.
Also, staff will present a final evaluation of the pilot deer-dog registration program in the Northwest Region.
Fridays (April 15) meeting agenda begins with marine fisheries management topics. The Commission will conduct a final public hearing on a proposed rule to control fishing effort in the commercial blue crab fishery by implementing a license system that would cap the number of blue crab endorsements in the fishery.
Commissioners will also conduct a final public hearing on a proposed rule amendment that would change the Apalachicola Bay winter oyster harvest season from Oct. 1 June 30 to Sept. 1 May 31 and the summer season from July 1 Sept. 30 to June 1 Aug. 31.
In other marine fisheries action, the Commission will review and discuss draft rules to specify black sea bass trap marking requirements and standardize methods for measuring the length of marine fish.
Commissioners will also discuss the scope of exotic species in Florida and plans to develop consistency among penalties for fish-and-wildlife-law violations.
The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. both days.
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.
The April meeting agenda and background materials are available at MyFWC.com/commission.
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KDJ/CR
FWC Meeting Agenda Items
April 14-15, Tallahassee
Thursday
1) Adoption of agenda.
a) Review and approval of February Commission meeting minutes.
b) Approval of consent agenda (attached).
c) Approval of agenda.
2) Executive directors report.
3) Revised delegation of authority to the executive director.
4) Final evaluation report on the pilot deer-dog registration program in the Northwest Region.
5) Rules:
a) Consider rule to prohibit deer-dog hunting on a 7,481-acre, linear-shaped portion of the San Pedro Bay WMA.
b) Consider rule to reduce quota of recreational use permits for San Pedro Bay WMA from 355 to 310 as a result of lands being removed from the WMA.
c) Consider rules to revise and update minimum standards for mandatory boating safety courses.
d) Consider rule change to update definitions of endangered, threatened, and species of special concern to be consistent with the most recent definitions of similar categories established by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
e) Consider rule to update procedures for listing, delisting and reclassifying endangered, threatened and species of special concern.
f) Consider rule changes to establish and change manatee-protection zones in portions of Lee County.
Friday
1) Rules:
a) Consider rule to establish definitions for hard shell crab, offshore, immediate family and soft shell crab, as they relate to the blue crab effort management program.
b) Consider rule to establish blue crab license limitation program.
c) Review and discussion of a draft rule to standardize methods for measuring length of marine fish.
d) Review and discussion of a draft rule for black sea bass trap marking requirements.
e) Review and discussion of the plan to develop and recommend consistency among penalties for fish-and-wildlife-law violations.
f) Review and discussion of the scope of exotic species in Florida.
g) Staff Reports:
i) Legislative report.
ii) Update on improving effectiveness of Commission meetings.
FWC Consent Agenda April 2005
1) Establishment Orders:
a) Re-establish Grove Park WMA in Alachua County, removing approximately 696 acres.
b) Re-establish San Pedro Bay WMA in Madison and Taylor counties, removing 18,362 acres.
c) Re-establish Fort McCoy WMA in Marion County, removing 642 acres.
d) Re-establish Tiger Bay WMA in Volusia County, adding 3,751 acres.
e) Re-establish Salt Lake WMA in Brevard County, adding 2,760 acres.
f) Re-establish Box R WMA in Franklin County, adding 800 acres.
g) Re-establish Apalachicola River WEA in Franklin and Gulf counties, removing 800 acres.
2) Rules:
a) Proposed rule change to modify dates of Canada goose season to conform to Executive Order No. E-04-04, dated Aug. 30, 2004, which expanded the Canada goose season to coincide with Georgias season.
b) Proposed rule change to adjust harvesting days to accommodate moving the commercial oyster harvesting seasons in Apalachicola Bay earlier in the year by 30 days.
c) Proposed rule to change dates of the oyster harvesting seasons in Apalachicola Bay.
MEETING IN TALLAHASSEE
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 the Ramada Inn and Conference Center at 2900 N. Monroe St. in Tallahassee on April 14-15.
Thursdays (April 14) agenda is dominated by wildlife and freshwater fisheries issues. The Commission will conduct final public hearings on rules relating to the San Pedro Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that reduce the quota of recreational-use permits and establish a still-hunt area on a 7,481-acre portion of that WMA, which is currently hunted with deer-dogs.
The Commission will also conduct final public hearings on rules to revise the FWC imperiled species listing process. Proposed changes would strengthen 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 requiring an independent scientific review in the evaluation process.
Commissioners will also address several boating issues. The Commission will conduct final public hearings on rules to revise standards for boating safety courses and re-establish and modify manatee-protection speed zones in Lee County, including a new zone in a portion of San Carlos Bay.
Also, staff will present a final evaluation of the pilot deer-dog registration program in the Northwest Region.
Fridays (April 15) meeting agenda begins with marine fisheries management topics. The Commission will conduct a final public hearing on a proposed rule to control fishing effort in the commercial blue crab fishery by implementing a license system that would cap the number of blue crab endorsements in the fishery.
Commissioners will also conduct a final public hearing on a proposed rule amendment that would change the Apalachicola Bay winter oyster harvest season from Oct. 1 June 30 to Sept. 1 May 31 and the summer season from July 1 Sept. 30 to June 1 Aug. 31.
In other marine fisheries action, the Commission will review and discuss draft rules to specify black sea bass trap marking requirements and standardize methods for measuring the length of marine fish.
Commissioners will also discuss the scope of exotic species in Florida and plans to develop consistency among penalties for fish-and-wildlife-law violations.
The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. both days.
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.
The April meeting agenda and background materials are available at MyFWC.com/commission.
-30-
KDJ/CR
FWC Meeting Agenda Items
April 14-15, Tallahassee
Thursday
1) Adoption of agenda.
a) Review and approval of February Commission meeting minutes.
b) Approval of consent agenda (attached).
c) Approval of agenda.
2) Executive directors report.
3) Revised delegation of authority to the executive director.
4) Final evaluation report on the pilot deer-dog registration program in the Northwest Region.
5) Rules:
a) Consider rule to prohibit deer-dog hunting on a 7,481-acre, linear-shaped portion of the San Pedro Bay WMA.
b) Consider rule to reduce quota of recreational use permits for San Pedro Bay WMA from 355 to 310 as a result of lands being removed from the WMA.
c) Consider rules to revise and update minimum standards for mandatory boating safety courses.
d) Consider rule change to update definitions of endangered, threatened, and species of special concern to be consistent with the most recent definitions of similar categories established by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
e) Consider rule to update procedures for listing, delisting and reclassifying endangered, threatened and species of special concern.
f) Consider rule changes to establish and change manatee-protection zones in portions of Lee County.
Friday
1) Rules:
a) Consider rule to establish definitions for hard shell crab, offshore, immediate family and soft shell crab, as they relate to the blue crab effort management program.
b) Consider rule to establish blue crab license limitation program.
c) Review and discussion of a draft rule to standardize methods for measuring length of marine fish.
d) Review and discussion of a draft rule for black sea bass trap marking requirements.
e) Review and discussion of the plan to develop and recommend consistency among penalties for fish-and-wildlife-law violations.
f) Review and discussion of the scope of exotic species in Florida.
g) Staff Reports:
i) Legislative report.
ii) Update on improving effectiveness of Commission meetings.
FWC Consent Agenda April 2005
1) Establishment Orders:
a) Re-establish Grove Park WMA in Alachua County, removing approximately 696 acres.
b) Re-establish San Pedro Bay WMA in Madison and Taylor counties, removing 18,362 acres.
c) Re-establish Fort McCoy WMA in Marion County, removing 642 acres.
d) Re-establish Tiger Bay WMA in Volusia County, adding 3,751 acres.
e) Re-establish Salt Lake WMA in Brevard County, adding 2,760 acres.
f) Re-establish Box R WMA in Franklin County, adding 800 acres.
g) Re-establish Apalachicola River WEA in Franklin and Gulf counties, removing 800 acres.
2) Rules:
a) Proposed rule change to modify dates of Canada goose season to conform to Executive Order No. E-04-04, dated Aug. 30, 2004, which expanded the Canada goose season to coincide with Georgias season.
b) Proposed rule change to adjust harvesting days to accommodate moving the commercial oyster harvesting seasons in Apalachicola Bay earlier in the year by 30 days.
c) Proposed rule to change dates of the oyster harvesting seasons in Apalachicola Bay.
