Students will learn about hunting laws, safe gun handling and hunter ethics/responsibility, among other topics, before taking the final test. The course also includes live-firing instruction on a shooting range.

Classes will be at the Dade County Extension Office, 18710 SW 288th Street, Homestead, FL  33030.

Participants can sign up at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s South Region Office at 561-625-5122. A statewide schedule of hunter safety classes is available at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course before purchasing a Florida hunting license. Parents or legal guardians must accompany children under 16 years of age to all classes. To participate in live-fire exercises, children under 18 years old must present a parental release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.                           

Participants must successfully complete the online portion of the course prior to attending and bring the final Web report to the FWC course on May 26. It does not have to be notarized.

Students will learn about hunting laws, safe gun handling and hunter ethics/responsibility, among other topics, before taking the final test. The course also includes live-firing instruction on a shooting range.

Classes will be at the Everglades Youth Conservation Camp in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, 12100 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33412.

Participants can sign up at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s South Region Office at 561-625-5122. A link to the online part of the course and a statewide schedule of hunter safety classes are available at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course before purchasing a Florida hunting license. Parents or legal guardians must accompany children under 16 years of age to all classes. To participate in live-fire exercises, children under 18 years old must present a parental release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

The zones are the product of the FWC and the counties responding to boater concerns about safety on the river. Each county that borders the river has created an ordinance to support these new zones.

The five zones are:

• At the confluence of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers (Columbia, Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);
• The U.S. Highway 129 bridge and Guy Lemmon Park boat ramp (Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);
• At the Sandy Point boat ramp (Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);
• Ellie Ray’s boat ramp (Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);
• Butler Landing boat ramp and the confluence of the Santa Fe and Suwannee rivers (Lafayette, Gilchrist and Suwannee counties).

Signs have been posted on the river, marking the beginning and ending of each zone, according to FWC Capt. Martin Redmond, area supervisor.

“This is to improve boating safety on the river,” Redmond said. “The public has expressed concerns about the heavy boating traffic in these areas and the speed at which some boaters are traveling through these congested areas, especially in the areas where boaters congregate or are trying to load and unload their boats. We worked with the counties involved to attempt to resolve these safety concerns, using the minimum amount of regulation necessary.”

Not adhering to the new zones will be a boating infraction that comes with a $50 fine.

“We will be working diligently to educate boaters about these five new zones,” Redmond said. “We will be handing out informational brochures showing the zones and providing a reference for boaters to make sure they understand what the law requires when operating in a slow-speed, minimum-wake zone. Boats must be off plane, fully settled in the water and moving at a speed that makes little or no wake.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement officers will be conducting a special operation called “Wave the Flag” on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20. The goal of this effort is to raise “divers-down” flag awareness for both divers and boaters.

FWC officers will use laser radar units to measure the distance between boaters and divers. They will then pursue violators. Last year, the operation, which was in Broward County, resulted in 12 citations and 30 written warnings.

This year’s Wave the Flag operation will extend into Palm Beach, Broward, Dade and Monroe counties. Local coastal police departments, sheriff’s offices and officers with the U.S. Coast Guard will join the FWC in this two-day operation.

“The FWC wants to make sure that 2012 is a safe year for both divers and snorkelers,” said Lt. David Bingham. “We want to remind divers that they must properly display a dive flag, and boaters must steer clear of divers.” 

While on the water, divers and boaters need to remember the following rules regarding dive flags:

• Divers-down flags displayed on vessels must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches, and a stiffener is required to keep the flag unfurled. Dive flags carried on floats must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches. Also, divers-down flags on vessels must be displayed above the vessel’s highest point so that the flag’s visibility is not obstructed in any direction.
• Divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on open waters and within 100 feet of a flag within rivers, inlets or navigation channels.
• Vessel operators must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from divers-down flags on open waters and at least 100 feet from flags on rivers, inlets or navigation channels. Vessels approaching divers-down flags closer than 300 feet in open water and 100 feet in rivers, inlets and navigation channels must slow to idle speed.
• When divers are out of the water, a dive flag must not be displayed.

The media are invited to cover operation Wave the Flag and join a ride-along with FWC officers involved in the event. Contact Carli Segelson to set up a ride-along.

For more information on boating regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Boating and click on “Boating Regulations.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will conduct regional workshops to present information on the management plan and permitting guidelines for gopher tortoises.

The goal of these workshops is to identify ways local governments can participate in protecting one of Florida’s threatened species. In addition, the FWC will discuss financial incentives available for local governments to help conserve gopher tortoises.

Scheduled for June 4, 5, 7 and 11 are workshops in Gilchrist, Orange, Hernando and St. Lucie counties. Representatives from neighboring counties are encouraged to attend. The workshops are free, but registration is required, as space is limited.

To register, please send your name and the name of your organization to Alexandra.Perryman@MyFWC.com.

Workshops will be held in additional counties in upcoming weeks. For more information, including the proposed draft revisions and public comment on the Gopher Tortoise Management Plan, visit MyFWC.com/GopherTortoise and click on “Management Plan.” Written comments on this draft plan will be accepted until June 25.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) planted more than 25,000 aquatic grass plants in Lake Trafford on May 8. Biologists designed this project to provide better habitat for fish and wildlife that live in and around the lake. Lake Trafford, in Collier County, is the largest lake south of Lake Okeechobee.

“This grass will provide excellent habitat for fish living in the lake,” said FWC aquatic restoration biologist Rodney Hudson. “It will also provide a good foraging area for alligators, otters and birds such as herons, egrets and anhingas.”

The grass species, calledPaspalidium geminatum, is native to Florida and is popular fishing habitat for anglers throughout many Florida lakes. Some anglers know this grass as “Kissimmee grass.”

The grass grows in small, scattered patches around the edges of the lake. Biologists chose to plant additional grasses in areas with little or no vegetation. The recently planted grasses will cover approximately two acres of the lake. In time, these grasses should spread over larger sections of the lake, providing more habitat.

For more information on the FWC’s freshwater conservation programs, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation and click on “Freshwater Programs.”

An endangered Florida panther kitten rescued after an apparent vehicle strike in Southwest Florida will likely be unable to return to the wild. Staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the kitten unresponsive on April 23 along State Road 82 in Collier County. A volunteer with the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge on his way to work spotted the injured kitten that morning and reported the sighting.

Rescuers immediately took the then 12-week-old male kitten to the Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida in Naples for treatment. Although veterinarians at the hospital found no major fractures and no signs of significant internal damage, they believe the panther experienced some level of head trauma.

“Unfortunately, this kitten’s condition makes it unlikely that he will recover enough to be released into the wild,” said Dave Onorato, FWC biologist. “We’re grateful to the staff at the Animal Specialty Hospital, who have worked tirelessly caring for him.”

The kitten is being transferred to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo for further rehabilitation. This is the third kitten and seventh panther overall to receive rehabilitation at the zoo. The kitten’s prognosis is guarded.

A male panther kitten, believed to be this kitten’s brother, died April 7 from injuries also consistent with a vehicle strike.

Collisions with vehicles are the top human-related cause of panther deaths. More than a third of panther deaths documented last year were the result of vehicle strikes. Drivers are encouraged to slow down and drive carefully in rural areas where panthers are known to live. An estimated 100 to 160 adults of this federally endangered species live in the wild.

To report dead or injured panthers, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.

Florida residents can support panther conservation efforts through the purchase of a panther license plate at BuyaPlate.com. Fees from these license plates are the primary funding source for the FWC’s research and management of Florida panthers.

For more information on Florida panthers, go to www.FloridaPantherNet.org.

Women are invited to explore the finest of fishing at the next “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!” seminar, hosted May 18-20 at the Pirates Cove Resort and Marine, 4307 Southeast Bayview St. in Stuart.

Held in conjunction with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) through the Sport Fish Restoration Program, “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!” is a national organization dedicated to attracting more women to sport fishing and to promoting conservation and responsible angling.

During the three-day, hands-on event, FWC educators will demonstrate ethical angler habits, such as safe hook removal, release techniques, fish venting and more. Local fishing guides will provide instruction on fishing techniques and methods.

Past participants found the event worthwhile.

“Being able to pick, choose and move between skill stations was terrific,” said Mary Hackney of Naples. “I loved the flexibility.”

“I learned more about fishing in two days than from my dad in 20 years,” said Georgia Allen of Bonita Springs.

On the final day of the seminar, women may embark on an optional fishing adventure.

To learn more, visit ladiesletsgofishing.com, call 954-475-9068 or email info@ladiesletsgofishing.com.

The FWC is lead manager of an area covering 2,923 acres represented by Lease No. 4245.

The purpose of this hearing is to receive public comment on a draft of a 10-year management plan the FWC is developing for the portion of the Okaloacoochee Slough WMA in Hendry County. Components of the draft management plan will be presented to the public, followed by a question-and-answer session and public testimony.

A management prospectus for the Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife WMA is available upon request from the FWC’s Conservation Acquisition and Planning group. Call Rebecca Shelton at 850-487-9982, or Michael Hallock-Solomon at 850-487-9767, or email Rebecca.Shelton@MyFWC.com  for the prospectus. For more information, go to MyFWC.com/Conservation and select “Terrestrial Programs” then “Management Plans.”

Except for those who have already successfully completed the online portion of the course, attendance on both days is required for certification. If you have completed the online course, you only need to attend the first day. You will need to bring the final Web report, which does not have to be notarized.

Students will learn about hunting laws, safe gun handling and hunter ethics/responsibility, among other topics, before taking the final test. The course also includes live-firing instruction on a shooting range.

Classes both days will be held at the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Shooting Range, 5025 S.W. 26^th Avenue, in the city of Okeechobee. 

Participants can sign up at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s South Region Office at 561-625-5122. A link to the online part of the course and a statewide schedule of hunter safety classes are available at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety. 

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course before purchasing a Florida hunting license. Parents or legal guardians must accompany children under 16 years of age to all classes. To participate in the live-fire exercises, children under 18 years old must present a parental release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.