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

 

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

68A-15.061Specific Regulations for Wildlife Management Areas - Southwest Region

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of the proposed rule amendment is to revise regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the Southwest 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 revises specific regulations for WMAs in the Southwest Region. Specifically, the amended rule modifies or clarifies vehicle access, hunting seasons and locations, and use of dogs. The rule also adds deer to the list of animals that must be checked at Croom WMA and establishes two family/youth small game hunts. This amendment also clarifies existing rules; removes unnecessary, redundant, or conflicting language; corrects prior mistakes; and makes non-substantive, technical corrections.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:

The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: The nature of the rule and the preliminary analysis conducted to determine whether a SERC was required.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. 375.313, FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. 375.313, FS.

A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATE AND TIME: During the Commission’s regular meeting February 21-22, 2023, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., each day.

PLACE: Marriott Jacksonville, 4670 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, Florida, 32256.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: the ADA Coordinator, at [phone].. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Mark Schulz, Southwest Region Public Hunting Areas Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Southwest Regional Office, 3900 Drane Field Road, Lakeland, Florida 33811, [phone] or [e-mail].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

68A-15.061 Specific Regulations for Wildlife Management Areas – Southwest Region.

(1)    No change.

(2) Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area – West Unit.

(a) Open season:

1. through 7. No change.

8. Trapping – Prohibited. 

(b) through (d) No change.  

(3) Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area.

(a) Open season:

1. through 3. No change.

4. Small game – Opening the day after the last day of general gun season and continuing 13 days thereafter (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only), reopening 3 days later and closing 46 days thereafter (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only) (open 7 days a week).

5. through 7. No change.

(b) through (c) No change. 

(d) General regulations:

1. through 5. No change. 

6. During periods closed to hunting and the raccoon and opossum season, vehicles may be operated only on named or numbered roads in the bird dog training area lying south of the northern boundaries of Sections 19, 20 and 21, Township 41S, Range 24E and west of the first north-south fence line east of the Seaboard Grade and on Tram Grade, Tucker Grade and Road 6 in the remainder of the area. The operation of vehicles is prohibited in Sections 13, 14, 23 and 24, Township 42S, Range 24E and the west 1/2 of Section 19, Township 42S, Range 25E.

7. through 19. No change.

(4) Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area – Yucca Pens Unit.

(a) Open season:

1. through 2. No change.

3. Small game – Opening 3 days after the last day of general gun season established by Rule 68A-13.004, F.A.C., and closing 60 days thereafter (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only and the Friday after Thanksgiving Day).

4. through 5. No change.

(b) through (d) No change.

(5) Upper Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area.

(a) Open season:

1. through 3. No change.

4. Small game – Opening 6 days after the last day of muzzleloading gun season established by Rule 68A-13.004, F.A.C., and closing the last day of gray squirrel season as established by Rule 68A-13.004, F.A.C. 15 days thereafter (Saturdays and Sundays only).

5. through 6. No change.

(b) through (d) No change.

(6) No change.

(7) KICCO Wildlife Management Area.

(a) through (c) No change.

(d) General regulations:

1. through 4. No change.

5. The portion of the area north and east of River Ranch Boulevard shall be open to hunting only during the wild hog-still season.

6. renumbered 5. No change.

(8) through (9) No change.

(10) Hilochee Wildlife Management Area.

(a) Open season:

1. through 6. No change.

7. General Gun – Opening 83 84 days after the first day of Zone B antlered deer season established by Rule 68A-13.004, F.A.C., and closing 2 days thereafter.

8. through 9. No change.

(b) through (d) No change.

(11) No change.

(12) Avon Park Air Force Range Wildlife Management Area.

(a) Open season:

1. through 7. No change.

8. Trapping – Prohibited.

9. through 10. renumbered 8. through 9. No change.

(b) through (d) No change.

(13) Croom Wildlife Management Area.

(a) through (c) No change. 

(d) General regulations:

1. through 5. No change.

6. During the first nine days of general gun season and the entire spring turkey and muzzleloading gun seasons, all game taken shall be checked at the check station, and no turkey or deer shall be dismembered until checked at the check station.

7. through 8. No change.

(14) Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area.

(a) Open season:

1. through 3. No change.

4. Wild hog-dog – Opening 12 days after the last day of general gun season established by Rule 68A-13.004, F.A.C., and closing 9 days thereafter (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only).

5. through 9. No change.

(b) through (e) No change.

(15) Hilochee Wildlife Management Area – Osprey Unit.

(a) Open season:

1. through 8. No change.

9. General gun – Opening 83 84 days after the first day of the Zone B antlered deer season established by Rule 68A-13.004, F.A.C., and closing 2 days thereafter.

10. No change.

(b) through (d) No change.

(16) No change.

(17) Lower Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area.

(a) Open season:

1. No change.

2. Youth small game - Opening 5 days after the last day of the family hunt season and closing 2 days thereafter, reopening 12 days later and closing 2 days thereafter (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only).

2. through 3. renumbered 3. through 4. No change.

(b) through (d) No change.

(18) No change.

(19) Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife Management Area – Hatchineha Unit.

(a) Open season:

1. through 7. No change.

8. Trapping – Prohibited.

9. renumbered 8. No change.

(b) through (c) No change.

(d) General regulations:

1. through 5. No change.

6. Hunting with dDogs is are prohibited, except bird dogs and retrievers may be used for hunting small game and any dog may be used to take small game during the small game season.

7. No change.

(20) Orange Hammock Wildlife Management Area. 

(a) Open season:

1. through 8. No change.

9. Trapping – Prohibited.  

(b) through (c) No change.

(d) General regulations:

1. The use of tracked vehicles, airboats, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), swamp buggies, recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) or unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles is prohibited, except ATVs and ROVs may be used by certified mobility-impaired hunters during the mobility-impaired hunt. Additional vehicle access, provided at the required mobility-impaired pre-hunt orientation meeting, may be allowed based on environmental factors during the mobility-impaired hunt.

2. Public access is allowed only from 1.5 hours before sunrise to 1.5 hours after sunset. Public access other than by foot, horseback, or bicycle is prohibited, except vehicle access is allowed only on that portion of the Main Grade between the designated entrance and WMA Gate 1 Parking Area 3, and as specified in #3 below.

3. Only persons participating in a quota hunt (and one additional non-hunting guest per quota permit during the mobility-impaired hunt and the youth turkey hunt) may operate vehicles on Main Grade south of WMA Gate 1 Parking Area 3 from 1.5 hours before sunrise to 1.5 hours after sunset one day prior to and during each archery, muzzleloading gun, mobitlity-impaired hunt, general gun hunt; and from 4:30 a.m. until 1.5 hours one hour after sunset during spring turkey hunts.

4. through 10. No change.

PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE:  July 1, 2023

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const., 379.2223, 375.313 FS. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const., 379.2223, 375.313 FS. History–New 6-21-82, Amended 7-1-83, 11-17-83, 7-5-84, 10-1-84, 7-1-85, 9-19-85, 5-7-86, 5-10-87, 6-8-87, 10-8-87, 5-1-88, 7-1-89, 7-1-90, 7-1-91, 7-2-91, 7-1-92, 8-23-92, 7-1-93, 7-1-94, 7-1-95, 7-1-96, 9-15-96, 6-1-97, 8-7-97, 7-1-98, 10-20-98, 12-28-98, 7-1-99, Formerly 39-15.061, Amended 12-9-99, 3-30-00, 7-1-00, 7-1-01, 5-13-02, 5-25-03, 7-1-04, 7-1-05, 7-1-06, 7-1-07, 7-1-08, 7-1-09, 7-1-10, 7-1-11, 7-1-12, 7-1-13, 7-1-14, 7-1-15, 7-1-16, 7-1-17, 9-14-17, 7-1-18, 8-9-18, 7-1-19, 7-1-20, 7-1-21, 7-1-22, 7-1-23.

 

BE ADVISED THAT THESE PROPOSED RULES MAY BE FILED FOR ADOPTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOLLOWING THE COMMISSION MEETING AT WHICH THEY ARE CONSIDERED IF THE RULES ARE NOT CHANGED.  IF CHANGED, THE RULES MAY BE FILED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER PUBLICATION OF A NOTICE OF CHANGE IN THE F.A.R.

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: George Warthen, Director, Division of Hunting and Game Management, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600.

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: November 30, 2022

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: November 08, 2022