Florida’s recent black bear hunt ended with an outcome that deserves recognition as well as reform. Only 52 bears were reported killed, and - critically - at least the same number were spared through a Sierra Club-led Spare a Bear, Bag a Tag campaign, carried out with the help of dedicated bear advocates across the state. That is not symbolic success; it is real bears still alive in Florida’s forests.

This result matters because bears are not just wildlife - they are indicators of healthy, connected ecosystems. When bears are protected, so are the forests that safeguard drinking water, support aquifer recharge, reduce flooding, and anchor Florida’s remaining wild places. Protecting wildlife is inseparable from protecting land and water.

At the same time, the hunt approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission once again moved forward without updated, transparent population science, despite strong public opposition. Lethal management was emphasized while habitat loss and development pressure - the true drivers of human-bear conflict - remain insufficiently addressed.

The good news is that Floridians stepped up. Hunters returned tags. Advocates organized. The public spoke - and bears lived. That momentum now needs to translate into governance reform.

Reform does not mean shutting anyone out. It means leveling the field so conservationists, environmental representatives, scientists, and community voices have equal influence in wildlife decisions. It means prioritizing habitat protection, wildlife corridors, and proven coexistence strategies first.

We spared as many bears as were killed. With fairer, science-based leadership, Florida can do even better - and keep its wild heart intact.