Volusia Applies For FWC BearWise Funding To Help Reduce Bear Interactions

Volusia County, FL – Volusia County has applied for BearWise funding from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to help reduce instances of bear and human interaction.

In addition to Volusia, Collier County Parks and Recreation, Franklin County, Highlands County, Lake County, Orange County, Seminole County, and Walton County have also applied for the $515,283 in BearWise funding. The Air Force Enlisted Village HOA in Okaloosa County and Holley by the Sea Improvement Association in Santa Rosa County have also applied for a combined total of $998,425 in funding.

Over the next few weeks, the FWC will decide which communities to prioritize for funding. The FWC requests the community already have BearWise countywide, city-wide, or HOA-wide ordinances in place, meaning that they have laws preventing homeowners and businesses from leaving garbage unsecured. The funding will help these communities with the cost of installing bear-resistant trash cans and dumpsters.

“Feeding on garbage is the main reason why Florida black bears appear in neighborhoods,” said FWC Bear Management Program leader, David Telesco. “This funding will make it easier for people to secure their trash, keeping both people and bears safe.”

$415,283 was approved by the Florida Legislature and Governor Rick Scott. The FWC contributed an additional $100,000, earned through the sales of their Conserve Wildlife license plate. 60% of the Florida Legislature funding must go towards areas who already have BearWise ordinances such as Lake, Orange and Seminole counties and the Holley by the Sea Improvement Association.

In 2016, the FWC allotted $800,000 to 11 different counties, 3 cities, and 1 HOA. The funding paid for 5,100 bear-resistant trash cans and 3,800 hardware units to secure existing trash cans. 75% of 2016's funding went to areas where BearWise ordinances were already in place.

Based on their answers to the following questions, the FWC will decide which applicants to approve for BearWise funding. The funding recipients are expected to be announced in November.

• Is there a local ordinance in place requiring residents and businesses to keep trash and other attractants secure from bears?
• How many households in the area are experiencing significant human-bear conflicts?
• Will the community match the funding, either with money, in-kind services or both?
• What is the likelihood the project will result in a community-wide reduction of human-bear conflicts?
• How many residences and businesses may benefit from the project?

The FWC hopes that their continued dedication to helping communities create BearWise ordinances and the incentive they offer every year to do it will cause less conflict between bears and humans. For additional information on Florida black bear populations, go here.

Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.