We must continue to contact Governor DeSantis so that he knows that the overwhelming majority of Floridians oppose HB 87 - Taking of Bears. We know that many of you have already completed the calls to action, but we need Gov. DeSantis to know that we are watching and waiting for his decision. 

Bears should not be killed because some humans refuse to take preventative measures when it comes to bear-human conflicts. Bears have ready access to garbage in some places in Florida, such as Franklin County. Removing bear attractants and securing our trash is the solution. The number one contributor to all bear-human conflicts is unsecured trash. If we apply common-sense measures such as bear-resistant trash cans, securing garbage until morning pickup, and removing attractants such as birdfeeders, we can resolve these issues and prevent future incidents. These methods have proven successful in several counties in Florida, including Volusia County, which saw a 95% reduction in bear-human conflicts since the introduction of bear-resistant trashcans. Seminole County, which once ranked highest in bear-human conflicts, has seen a significant reduction since implementing bear-resistant trashcans. Bear-resistant trashcans have proven successful worldwide at greatly reducing or eliminating bear-human conflicts.

There is currently $683,500 in the budget for Franklin County bear-resistant trashcans. These funds provide a non-lethal solution to bear-human conflicts. 

Act now, contact Governor DeSantis, and respectfully request that he VETO HB 87 - Taking of Bears. You can ask Governor DeSantis to VETO HB 87 - Taking of Bears, or you can explain why you want the bill vetoed. Please feel free to use the information on the petition and our petition updates as reference points. When calling, please wait on the line until your call is answered. The mailbox has been full. You can also send an email. If emailing, be sure to put VETO HB 87 - Taking of Bears as your subject title.

Phone: (850) 717-9337
Email: GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com

Thank you for taking action!