Latest news with #JasonShoaf
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Can you kill a Florida black bear in your yard? What to know before you get your gun
Florida black bears can be found in almost half of Florida. In some areas, especially in Southwest and Central Florida and along the Panhandle, there's a high density where bears spend "a considerable amount of time," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Interaction between people and bears is rare, but it does happen. Bears can and have showed up even in populated areas like neighborhoods and Disney World, where a bear shut down a large portion of the Magic Kingdom in 2023. A Jerome, Florida, man, and a dog may have been killed May 5 by a bear. If the investigation confirms the suspicions, it will be the first death by bear attack in Florida, according to the FWC. If you encounter a bear in your yard, can you kill it? Here's what you should know. Florida law lets residents stand their ground against bears In June 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the The Self Defense Act of 2024. It allows for the taking of bears, without any penalties, under specific circumstances. 'HB 87 ensures Floridians have the right to protect themselves, their families and pets from bears. This bill is about self defense. No Floridians should have to worry about the consequences of killing a bear when they, or their loved ones, are in danger,' Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, told the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida in 2024. Can you shoot a bear in Florida? The 2024 law allows "for the taking of bears, use of lethal force" if a person: The law does not allow someone who killed a bear to "possess, sell, or dispose" the dead bear or its parts. The FWC is charged with disposing of the bear. Fines for violating the law's provisions can be $5,000. Read HB 87 in its entirety Florida bear attack in Collier County: Man, dog killed Florida wildlife officials hauled a dead bear from the woods shortly before 9 p.m. May 5, more than 12 hours after Robert Markel and a dog were found dead in Jerome, a rural community south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area in Collier County. The bear and DNA from the scene will be sent to Gainesville for testing. Officials did not confirm the bear was the one involved in the attacks. If the ongoing investigation confirms Markel was mauled by the suspected bear, it would be the first death by bear attack in Florida. What to do if you encounter a bear in Florida? FWC recommends the following if you encounter a bear in Florida: From a distance: Enjoy the experience, but do not move toward the bear, if your presence changes the bear's behavior you are too close At close range: Remain standing upright Speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice Back up slowly toward a secure area, be sure you are leaving the bear a clear escape route Avoid direct eye contact. Bears and other animals may view this as aggressive behavior Stop and hold your ground if your movement away seems to irritate instead of calm the bear What should you do if a bear attacks you? Fight back aggressively. People have successfully fended off black bear attacks using rocks, sticks, or even their bare hands, according to FWC. Will black bear hunt be held in Florida? The FWC had three virtual public feedback meetings in April for the return of a bear hunt in Florida. The draft of the proposal that will be presented to commissioners is expected to be ready for public review by Wednesday, May 7. The proposal indicates 55 bears will be permitted for harvest from Lee, Collier and Hendry counties. The last black bear hunt happened a decade ago, but the planned seven-day hunt was shut down at the end of the second day after nearly 300 bears were killed. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Can you shoot a bear in Florida? What to know about self defense law
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cape San Blas beach restoration project left out of Senate Bill
GULF COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Cape San Blas residents used to have 350 feet of beach, before hurricanes, tropical storms, and winter storms eroded most of it. Two homes have already been condemned and 30 more are at imminent risk. If more homes are condemned, residents fear the state road could be next, which is the only way on and off the cape. 'The road is about to be washed out. These homes are falling in, and we don't even get a dime. And we just want answers. And we know, you know, we're calling people hundreds of people call and just nobody's communicating with us as to what happened,' Coastal Community Association Board Member Kelly Mills said. Before this year's legislative session, residents met with their State Senator Corey Simon and State Representative Jason Shoaf. Both said they would submit appropriation requests for the last $10 million needed for the beach renourishment project. Both kept their word. But as the 60-day session progressed, something happened to the requests. 'Well, as they bargained back and forth, Jason put in the $5 million, and we were told that was going to be accepted,' Mills said. The news about the Senate's version of the budget is not as promising. Residents don't understand what happened with Senator Simon. Callaway's renovated community center reopens for residents 'He allocated $0 to our beach renourishment. Whereas Jason Shoaf, who said the same, he allocated $5 million, and without Corey Simon's $5 million. I think it's my understanding I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that we won't get the funding,' Sunrise Sunset Townhomes HOA President Michelle Massingill said. Both Senate and House members have been in conference committee this week, trying to agree on a single budget to send to the governor. There's still a chance the project could receive some funding, but residents are now looking for other solutions. 'We have reached out to Neil Dunn's office, and he's been very helpful, but he's getting mixed communication with the county. And so he's just trying to. You know, they say they can't help us unless the county asks for help,' Mills said. Gulf County is not eligible for federal funding due to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act. COBRA restricts funding in undeveloped coastal areas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Senate OKs ban on oil exploration and drilling near the Apalachicola River
Photo taken from the website The Florida Senate has joined the House in passing a bill (HB 1143) banning oil exploration and drilling near the Apalachicola River in Northwest Florida. North Florida lawmakers filed the bill after the Florida Department of Environmental Protection permitted an exploratory oil well near the Apalachicola River in Calhoun County last December. Throughout the legislative session, the bill sponsored in the Senate by North Florida Republican Corey Simon (SB 1300) did not match the language of the House proposal filed by Republican Jason Shoaf and Democrat Allison Tant. On Wednesday, however, the Senate took up and passed the House version with an amendment prohibiting drilling, exploration, or production of oil, gas, or other petroleum products in counties designated as rural areas of opportunity that are 10 miles near a National Estuarine Research Reserve — meaning Gulf, Liberty, Franklin, and Calhoun counties. The original House bill would have extended these protections to Guana Tolomato Matanzas in Ponta Verde Beach and Rookery Bay in Naples. Those are not included in the bill passed on Wednesday in the Senate. The proposal also calls for the DEP to apply a 'balancing test' when a permit application is submitted in areas within one mile inland from the coast or other bodies of water. The test must include the community's conditions, hydrological connections, uniqueness, location, fish and wildlife use, time lag, and the potential cost of restoration in case of an explosion, blowout, or spill. 'Over the last several years, the Apalachicola area has been closed to our oystermen,' Simon said on the floor of the Senate. 'And a few years back, when we had the Deepwater Horizon drilling incident, it closed down our Bay and it decimated our community. We can't have that again. Our families are trying to struggle their way back currently, and this will go a long way in making sure that the Apalachicola can return back to its former self and all that it brings back to the Forgotten Coast.' The final vote was 37-1, with only Broward County Democratic Sen. Rosalind Osgood opposing the measure. Louisiana-based Clearwater Land & Minerals is the company intending to drill for oil in the Apalachicola River Basin. A challenge to the draft permit is pending at the state Division of Administrative Hearings, as reported by the News Service of Florida. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oil drilling ban along Apalachicola River passes unanimously in Florida House
North Florida beaches including this one at Grayton Beach State Park were among those threatened by the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill that polluted the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. (Via Florida State Parks) Amid growing concerns over a plan to drill for oil and gas near the Apalachicola River, a proposal by two North Florida lawmakers to ban oil exploration and drilling in that region passed unanimously in the Florida House on Wednesday. The bill (HB 1143) is sponsored by Republican Jason Shoaf and Democrat Allison Tant. It would ban the drilling, exploration, or production of oil, gas, or other petroleum products within 10 miles of a national estuarine research reserve. There are three such reserves in Florida — the Apalachicola in North Florida, the Guana Tolomato Matanzas in Ponta Verde Beach, and Rookery Bay in Naples. The bill sponsors have said that their legislation is a response to a decision last December by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to permit an exploratory oil well near the Apalachicola River in Calhoun County. 'When this oil drilling initiative was announced in our press, my entire community, all of North Florida, went on fire,' said Tant. 'It was an organic response by people here in this area who just were devastated by this possibility.' Shoaf noted that Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, an event that led to miles of oiled beaches in the Florida Panhandle. 'During the oil spill, just the threat of oil coming to our area completely crippled our economy and now we face another threat that is starting to really scare the entire community,' Shoaf said on the House floor. Pinellas County Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross also noted the anniversary of the BP oil spill, which lasted for 87 days and was the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'In just a few days, we will remember the 11 men who were killed during that tragedy and the horrific impact to our natural areas, our wildlife, and also to our economy here in the state of Florida,' she said. 'Despite being hundreds of miles away, tourism in the Tampa Bay area plummeted, and I know that in places in the Panhandle with oil washing onto the shores, this was a real threat.' The bill calls for the DEP to conduct a 'balancing test' when a permit application is submitted. The test must include the community's conditions, hydrological connections, uniqueness, location, fish and wildlife use, time lag, and the potential cost of restoration in case of an explosion, blowout, or spill. The bill has one significant difference with its Senate companion, sponsored by North Florida Republican Corey Simon (SB 1300). That measure does not include language about banning development within 10 miles of a reserve. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House approves river drilling ban; Senate eyes softer version
The Florida House Wednesday unanimously approved a bipartisan proposal that effectively bans oil drilling for 52 miles along the banks of the Apalachicola River. Now the bill (HB 1143) goes to the Senate, where a less stringent companion bill is ready for that full chamber to consider. With the legislative session set to end by May 2, it's anybody's guess whether a compromise will make it to the governor's desk. The House proposal by Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, and Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, prohibits the Department of Environmental Protection from approving an oil and gas drilling permit within 10 miles of the state's three National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) – which includes the Apalachicola, Tolomato Mantanzas near St. Augustine, and Rookery Bay south of Naples. The Apalachicola NERR has some of the highest density of fish, reptiles, and amphibians in North America and takes in nearly half of the 107-mile-long river that empties into Apalachicola Bay. Shoaf introduced the bill by noting the upcoming 15th anniversary of the BP Gulf oil spill (April 20) that shut down Apalachicola Bay and devastated the coastal economy. 'We're still carrying scars from that oil spill, just the threat of oil coming to our area completely crippled our economy. And now we face another threat that is starting to really scare the entire community,' Shoaf said. Last April, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) permitted an exploratory oil well in the Apalachicola floodplain for Clearwater Land and Minerals. The decision is currently under legal challenge, but Shoaf and Tant are moving to ensure the project never gets past the exploratory stage. If oil were to be found then Clearwater would have to seek a permit to pump oil from the ground. 'That is a whole other process," Shoaf explained. "This would block the next permit they would have to obtain before they could commercially drill for oil.' Earlier Wednesday, a Senate committee cleared a companion measure (SB 1300) for it to be considered by the full chamber. The bill by Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, lacks the House's outright ban but does include a requirement for DEP to conduct a 'balancing test' when considering drilling applications within one mile of rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. The test would weigh environmental and economic concerns against the potential loss expected from an oil spill or other accidents. When asked about the differences between the two bills, Simon said he will meet with Shoaf for a conversation 'to work things out.' And Shoaf said he is willing to compromise – as long as it 'achieves the goal to stop drilling.' James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@ and is on X as @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida House passes bill to shield Apalachicola Bay from drilling
