State: FL

Why It Matters: Rodman Reservoir, constructed in 1968, is a 9,500-acre reservoir in Northeast Florida and is one of the premier largemouth bass fisheries in the world. For decades, there have been efforts led by environmental groups to destroy Rodman Reservoir in favor of “restoring” the Ocklawaha River with vague goals and objectives, jeopardizing a staple of the recreational fishing community. …

Why It Matters: Black bears present hunters with the opportunity to get afield in pursuit of one of the most storied big game animals in the country, both past and present. Simultaneously, black bear hunters generate valuable conservation funding dollars through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding…

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…

Why It Matters: Louisiana and Florida are two of the most recent states to re-establish hunting seasons on black bears. While hunters cannot just go and buy tags or permits over the counter, they are throwing their names into the proverbial hat (lottery system) in hopes of drawing tags. Hunters are not the only ones…

Why It Matters:  For the first time since October of 2015, sportsmen and women in Florida will have the opportunity to throw their name in the hat to draw a coveted black bear tag and participate in a black bear hunt. Re-establishing a black bear season in Florida has been a priority for the Congressional…

Why It Matters:  During their meeting on August 13, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have the opportunity to re-establish a black bear hunting season for the first time in a decade. If the vote is favorable, Florida sportsmen and women will have the opportunity to pursue a species in which their conservation…

Why It Matters: Rodman Reservoir, constructed in 1968, is a 9,500-acre reservoir in Northeast Florida and is one of the foremost premiere largemouth bass fisheries in the world. For decades, there have been unfounded efforts by environmentalists to destroy Rodman Reservoir in favor of “restoring” the Ocklawaha River with no clearly defined goals or objectives,…

Why It Matters:  Thanks to the conservation management efforts of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and their partners, utilizing funding generated in large part by hunters through the American System of Conservation Funding, data supports establishing a highly regulated hunting season for black bears in Florida. This would provide hunters with the…

Red snapper are a popular sportfish in the South Atlantic, but despite having the healthiest population of red snapper in recorded history, recreational anglers have been met with severely restrictive season lengths. This punitive result to having more fish in the water can be attributed to a federal management system that relies on often variable…

Why It Matters: Encompassing roughly 179,000 acres, the Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) is a critical piece of public land that provides access for many sportsmen and women in south Florida. Establishing Wilderness designations within the BCNP would have negatively impacted science-based management practices to improve wildlife habitat as well as access to quality hunting…