Hello Petition Supporters,

My name is Alexandra, and I'm on the Civic Engagement team at Change.org. Our team works to connect petition starters and supporters with the public officials who have the power to act on the issues you care about. We reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) about this petition and the recent decision to allow a black bear hunt in Florida.

Morgan Richardson, Director of the Division of Hunting and Game Management, shared more information about how the decision was made and what measures are in place to protect Florida’s bear population. He explained that the FWC’s seven Commissioners unanimously approved a limited black bear hunt at their August 2025 meeting, following an initial approval in May and a final public hearing where more than 170 individuals signed up to speak—a record number of participants.

According to FWC staff, the Commission carefully reviewed all public input, including those opposed to the hunt, before making its final decision. They emphasized that the FWC has implemented additional safeguards since the last bear hunt in 2015 to ensure the sustainability of Florida’s bear population. The hunt, scheduled for December 2025, will be managed through a lottery system with 172 tags spread across four bear management zones, each based on regional population data.

FWC biologists report that Florida’s black bear population is healthy and expanding, and the Division of Hunting and Game Management stated that the hunt is designed to be conservative—ensuring the population remains stable. According to FWC staff, the Commission expects Florida to have as many or more bears after the hunt, with continued population growth projected into 2026. In areas where bears are still re-establishing, they stated that no hunts are being conducted.

The FWC team acknowledged that this is a deeply divisive issue, noting that the Commission respects those who oppose hunting on ethical grounds as well as those who view it as part of long-term wildlife management. They emphasized that FWC values continued dialogue with the public and welcomes residents to stay engaged and informed about wildlife policies.

More details about the decision, population data, and FAQs are available at MyFWC.com: https://myfwc.com/hunting/bear

Thank you for continuing to speak out and for helping keep attention on the protection and management of Florida’s black bears.