27976660, 68A-15.065 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 27976660

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

Chapter:

TYPE I WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS

Overview

RULE:

68A-15.065

Specific Regulations for Wildlife Management Areas - Northeast Region

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the proposed rule amendment is to revise regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the Northeast Region. The effect of the proposed rule amendment will be to enable the agency to better manage fish and wildlife resources and public use on WMAs.

SUMMARY:

The proposed rule amendment would revise specific area regulations on WMAs in the Northeast Region as follows:
 
Bull Creek/Herky Huffman WMA – remove the requirement for non-hunting recreational users to check in and out on the area.
Caravelle Ranch WMA – allow only youth under 16 years of age but not younger than eight years of age to take wildlife with a gun during the family hunt. 
Dunns Creek WMA – establish a 15-day small game season for 5 consecutive weekends (Friday – Sunday) ending the last Sunday in January (no quota, walk-in access only); centerfire rifles prohibited for taking wildlife; wild hog legal to take; the use of dogs prohibited for the take of wild hog; and shift the dates for the wild hog quota hunt to the month of May to accommodate the new small game season.
Guana River WMA – prohibit public access to the uplands portion of the WMA during established quota hunts, except for quota permit holders, hunting guests, and exempt hunters in response to feedback from staff and the public regarding crowding on the area.
Ocala WMA – establish in rule that nighttime hunting of fox, coyote and bobcat (when it coincides with the statewide bobcat season) with dogs is allowed in the Pipeline Unit only during the general gun season, and in that portion of the Pipeline Unit south of State Road 40 and west of State Road 19 only during the fox, raccoon, opossum and bobcat season.
Richloam WMA, Baird Unit – require all users to enter and exit the area at a designated entrance; and add a scout day between the 2nd and 3rd archery hunts.
Seminole Forest WMA – clarify the area specific bag limit for turkey from “daily limit of 1” to “2 per quota permit, daily limit of 1 per person”.
Seminole Forest WMA, Lake Tracy Unit – clarify the area specific bag limit for turkey from “daily limit of 1” to “2 per quota permit, daily limit of 1 per person”.
Silver Springs Forest WMA – add a family hunt and modify the formats and dates of other hunts (except small game season and wild hog quota hunts).
Three Lakes WMA, Prairie Lakes Unit – remove the quota permit requirement for the area’s 4 wild hog-still hunts (weekend hunts) to increase participation in hog hunting on the area.
Triple N Ranch WMA – require all users to enter and exit the area at a designated entrance; allow the take of wild hog during the small game season.
	
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:

Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. 375.313, FS.

LAW:

Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. 375.313, FS.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

1/23/2024 Vol. 50/15

COMMENTS:

From 1/23/2024 To 2/13/2024 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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