15547759, 68A-17.005 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 15547759

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

Chapter:

WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS

Overview

RULE:

68A-17.005

Specific Regulations for Wildlife and Environmental Areas

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the proposed rule amendment is to revise specific area regulations on Wildlife and Environmental Areas (WEAs) and conform to calendar year date changes.  The effect of the proposed rule amendment will be to enable the agency to better manage fish and wildlife resources and public use on WEAs.

SUMMARY:

The proposed rule amendment would adjust season dates to conform to calendar year changes and revise specific area regulations on Wildlife and Environmental Areas (WEAs) as follows:

North Central Region

	Fort White WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 2 or more points is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; clarify that raptors allowed when falconry hunting are not limited to falcons only; and clarify that during spring turkey season the area limit of 1 per day and the statewide season limit of 2 apply.
	Lafayette Forest WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 2 or more points is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; establish a 16-day small game season that includes nighttime raccoon and opossum hunting with dogs; clarify that raptors allowed when falconry hunting are not limited to falcons only; clarify that during spring turkey season the area limit of 1 per day and the statewide season limit of 2 apply.
	Santa Fe Swamp WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 3 or more points or 1 antler with a main beam of 10 inches or more is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length.
	Suwannee Ridge WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 3 or more points or 1 antler with a main beam of 10 inches or more is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; clarify that during spring turkey season the area limit of 1 per day and the statewide season limit of 2 apply.
	Watermelon Pond WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 2 or more points is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; extend small game season from 30 to 39 days; allow public access to the new Gladman Tract via Watermelon Pond; allow waterfowl hunting and the use of bird dogs or waterfowl retrievers during statewide waterfowl seasons on the Gladman Tract; clarify that bicycles and horses are allowed on roads, firelines and designated trails only; and clarify that raptors allowed when falconry hunting are not limited to falcons only.

Northwest Region

	L. Kirk Edwards WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 3 or more points or 1 antler with a main beam of 10 inches or more is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; extend the shooting hours during spring turkey season from 1 p.m. to sunset; allow hunting during spring turkey season on those portions of the WMA west of Chaires Cross Road; move all deer hunts later in the year to better coincide with the rut; extend the family hunt from 2 to 4 days; extend archery hunts from 3 to 4 days; change the archery and muzzleloading gun season from four 3-day hunts to three 4-day hunts; in that portion of the WMA east of Chaires Cross Road, begin the small game hunts 2 weeks later, allow waterfowl hunting during the first 3 days of the statewide duck, light goose and coot season, and allow waterfowl hunting during the first 3 days of the statewide September duck season; and clarify that during spring turkey season the area limit of 1 per day and the statewide season limit of 2 apply.

South Region

	CREW WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 3 or more points or 1 antler with a main beam of 10 inches or more is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; and clarify that during spring turkey season the area limit of 1 per day and the statewide season limit of 2 apply.
	John C. and Mariana Jones / Hungryland WEA – as an alternative to existing 3 point antler point restriction, also allow the harvest of antlered deer having at least 1 antler with a main beam of 10 inches or more; persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; and allow dogs for purposes other than hunting, provided they are restrained at all times.
	John G. and Susan H. Dupuis WEA – as an alternative to existing 3 point antler point restriction, also allow the harvest of antlered deer having at least 1 antler with a main beam of 10 inches or more; persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; allow dogs for purposes other than hunting, provided they are restrained at all times; replace the third and fourth 3-day wild hog-still hunts with two 9-day summer wild hog-still hunts (no quota permit required); and clarify that during spring turkey season the area limit of 1 per day and the statewide season limit of 2 apply.
	Southern Glades WEA – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 2 or more points is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; allow properly licensed and permitted hunters to harvest conditional non-native snakes and lizards during established hunting seasons; establish an extended season for hunting conditional non-native snakes and lizards starting the day after small game season ends through the second Sunday in April; allow all methods of take for game animals, except centerfire rifles, during the extended season for conditional non-native snakes and lizards; establish shooting hours during the extended season for conditional non-native snakes and lizards as ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset; require the harvest of conditional non-native snakes and lizards be reported to FWC within 36 hours; and prohibit removal of live non-native snakes and lizards from the area.

Southwest Region

	Lake Wales Ridge WEA, Royce Unit – harvesting antlered deer not having 1 antler with 3 or more points or 1 antler with a main beam of 10 inches or more is prohibited, except persons less than 16 years of age may harvest any antlered deer with 1 antler 5 inches or more in length; and clarify that during spring turkey season the area limit of 1 per day and the statewide season limit of 2 apply.
	Little Gator Creek WEA – allow public access without a permit from September through January; allow public access during daylight hours; allow public access on foot or bicycle; allow public access through designated entrances only; and prohibit the possession of any animal.
	Moody Branch Mitigation Park WEA – remove the permit requirement to ride a horse on the area; and allow horses to be ridden only on established roads, firelines and designated trails. 

Additionally, the proposed rule amendment would provide non-substantive technical changes, such as grammatical corrections, language standardization, or clarification of an existing rule.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution n; Sections 379.2223, 375.313, Florida Statutes.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

1/15/2015 Vol. 41/10

COMMENTS:

From 1/15/2015 To 2/5/2015 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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