Why It Matters: There have been several issues impacting hunters and anglers in Florida so far in 2025. Everything from saving one of the most popular trophy bass fishing lakes in the world, re-establishing a black bear hunting season, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission restructuring, powers of game wardens, and more were on the docket. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), along with so many in-state and national partners, worked diligently to advocate on behalf of sportsmen and women as well as science-based wildlife management.
Highlights:
- CSF submitted comments to Governor DeSantis’ office requesting a line-item veto of 1525B within SB 2500, which would have appropriated $6.25 million to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to develop a plan to restore the Ocklawaha River. This plan would have included the destruction of the 9,500-acre Rodman Reservoir in Northeast Florida before Governor DeSantis vetoed 1525B.
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously approved the re-establishment of a black bear hunting season in Florida for the first time since 2014. 163,459 people put in for one of the 172 available permits generating over $800,000 additional dollars for black bear conservation.
- Lastly, HB 1133 would have: 1) provided for geographical representation on the FWC Commission, and 2) required that game wardens, also referred to as conservation officers, be held to the same rules regarding entering private property as any other state law enforcement entity. HB 1133 was vetoed by Governor DeSantis.
Hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and trapping make up so much of the cultural and economic fabric of Florida, and the abundant opportunities for sportsmen and women attract folks from all over the country to come and experience all that the state has to offer.
Destroying the dam at Rodman would have killed a top bass fishing destination in Florida, but it also would have required further taxpayer dollars to support long-term restoration efforts that likely would not achieve any appreciable environmental gains beyond the current functions of the reservoir. Freshwater fishing in Florida has a $1.7 billion impact. Additionally, Florida’s anglers generate over $64 million in funding for conservation through the “user pays, public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding. Rodman Reservoir is a key piece of freshwater fishing in Florida, so removing it would result in not only a negative impact to the recreational fishing industry itself, but also state and local economies.
Science-based wildlife management is one of the key tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Urban and suburban development continues to expand throughout the state. However, even with the loss of habitat, FWC staff reports show that bear populations are either stable or increasing in almost every corner of the state. This inevitably has led to human-wildlife conflict, and hunting is far and away the best tool when it comes to managing increasing populations, maintaining genetic diversity, and mitigating human-wildlife conflict. The FWC’s science supported a highly regulated hunt, and the Commission listened to that science, CSF, and our partners to vote in favor of re-establishing a hunting season.
Lastly, the Open Fields Doctrine holds that the expectation of privacy provided by the Fourth Amendment does not extend to “open fields” or other wooded properties, regardless of whether a property is posted. Evidence obtained by game wardens is admissible even if no warrant has been issued since that in which they are investigating pertains to wildlife and fisheries, which are held in the public trust. This issue has become hotly contested in several states across the country, and some states have rejected the Open Fields Doctrine, holding that the guarantees of their respective state constitutions provide for increased protection from unreasonable searches.
CSF will continue to work alongside our in-state and national partners, the FWC, and the Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus to continue to advocate on behalf of sportsmen and women as we move into 2026 and beyond.
