Florida Sierra Club Defends Bears!!
Take Action Now to Stop the Florida Black Bear Trophy Hunt.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is preparing to vote on whether to authorize a controversial and scientifically unjustified hunt on Florida’s black bears. This decision will have profound consequences for an iconic native species that has already endured habitat loss, fragmentation, road mortality, and poaching. Please take action now! Please immediately call to oppose the bear hunt and on August 13th attend the FWC Commission Meeting in Person!
Call and Email Governor Ron Desantis
As the state's highest executive, Governor DeSantis has the authority to influence FWC policy. Urge him to poopose the hunt and protect Florida's black hears for future generations.
Email:GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.comPhone: (850) 717-9337
Contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Call and submit your formal opposition to the proposed hunt via the FWC’s designated bear comment email. All emails become part of the public record, so please be respectful and clear in your messaging.
Phone: (850) 488-4676
Email the FWC Commissioners Directly
To ensure decision-makers see your message, contact all seven commissioners directly. (Suggested email subject line: I Oppose the Proposed Florida Black Bear Hunt)Copy and paste the following email addresses into the BCC field of your message.
Rodney.Barreto@MyFWC.com
Steven.Hudson@MyFWC.com
Preston.Farrior@MyFWC.com
Sonya.Rood@MyFWC.com
Albert.Maury@MyFWC.com
Gary.Nicklaus@MyFWC.com
Gary.Lester@MyFWC.com
Make a simple statement: “I oppose the Florida black bear hunt.”
Or provide a more detailed explanation grounded in science, ethics, and ecological principles.
Also please attend the FWC Commission Meeting in person
A final vote on the hunt will be made at this public meeting. Attending in person sends a strong message that Floridians and allies across the country stand united in opposition to the unnecessary killing of black bears.
Date: August 13th, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Arrive at 7:30 am to register to speak).
Location: Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy
75 College Ave., Havana, Florida 32333
Prevent Black Bears in Residential Areas
Many citizens of Florida wish to see bears continue to thrive in the state. The challenge is to learn how problems with bears can be avoided in residential areas that are in or near bear habitat. We need a plan clearly grounded in science that is in the best long-term interest of the black bears and our FL ecosystem. This current proposal is a premature 'trophy hunt'. There is no scientific backing to this suggested hunt. The State of FL should first work to regulate bear-human interactions. The answer is to reduce the things that attract black bears to populated areas- like trash.
Click here to read the full article of tips on how to prevent black bears in residential communities.
FWC advances proposal for first Florida bear hunt in a decade
'Barbaric': wildlife advocates criticize Florida bear hunt proposal
Controversial plans could see the slaughter of almost 200 black bears, about 5% of the state’s estimated total
Then came a controversial new law that allows anybody to shoot and kill any bear perceived as a threat without fear of consequences, which animal advocates say could be bad news for any creature that inadvertently wanders into a back yard.
Click here to read the full article.