Bears are as integral to Florida's landscape as Florida's Springs, so we're asking you to take action once again to stop a terrible bill from becoming law.
The law, if passed, will allow anyone to shoot and kill black bears on their property without penalty. Current law already allows residents to defend themselves against any imminent wildlife threats, but this bill goes further; any person who uses lethal force to kill a bear would be free of any administrative, civil or criminal penalties under the terms of the bill.
The bill has now passed both chambers, and we are now asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto it. We're asking for you to CALL first, as calls are more effective.
FIRST, please call Gov. DeSantis at (850) 717-9337 and urge him to veto HB 87/SB 632. You can say something like "As your constituent, I am calling to urge you to veto the dangerous bill HB 87/SB 632 to protect Florida's bears from senseless killing. No one needs to kill a bear under the guise of self-defense." After making your call, follow up with an emailed message using the form provided here. Be sure to personalize your subject line; you can also edit the message to the governor before you send it.
The best available science shows that hunting bears does not reduce human-bear conflicts. If Florida wants to reduce human-bear conflicts, the state should instead prioritize providing additional funding for bear-aware programs that encourage and assist residents to use bear-resistant trash cans and remove other food attractants like bird feeders. Hunting does not resolve human-bear conflicts; education campaigns do. Allowing residents to kill bears without a permit throws open the door for unlimited killing of bears under the guise of “self-defense,” or simply to protect property. It will leave orphaned, defenseless cubs to starve.
Call and leave a message with the governor's office first. Then use this form to send and email; fill in your own subject line like "Protect FL bears". Or "unlimited killing of bears is not the answer" or "Please Veto HB 87"
Bears are as integral to Florida's landscape as Florida's Springs, so we're asking you to take action once again to stop a terrible bill from becoming law.
The law, if passed, will allow anyone to shoot and kill black bears on their property without penalty. Current law already allows residents to defend themselves against any imminent wildlife threats, but this bill goes further; any person who uses lethal force to kill a bear would be free of any administrative, civil or criminal penalties under the terms of the bill.
The bill has now passed both chambers, and we are now asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto it. We're asking for you to CALL first, as calls are more effective.
FIRST, please call Gov. DeSantis at (850) 717-9337 and urge him to veto HB 87/SB 632. You can say something like "As your constituent, I am calling to urge you to veto the dangerous bill HB 87/SB 632 to protect Florida's bears from senseless killing. No one needs to kill a bear under the guise of self-defense." After making your call, follow up with an emailed message using the form provided here. Be sure to personalize your subject line; you can also edit the message to the governor before you send it.
The best available science shows that hunting bears does not reduce human-bear conflicts. If Florida wants to reduce human-bear conflicts, the state should instead prioritize providing additional funding for bear-aware programs that encourage and assist residents to use bear-resistant trash cans and remove other food attractants like bird feeders. Hunting does not resolve human-bear conflicts; education campaigns do. Allowing residents to kill bears without a permit throws open the door for unlimited killing of bears under the guise of “self-defense,” or simply to protect property. It will leave orphaned, defenseless cubs to starve.
Call and leave a message with the governor's office first. Then use this form to send and email; fill in your own subject line like "Protect FL bears". Or "unlimited killing of bears is not the answer" or "Please Veto HB 87"