Florida Legislators File Scores of Wildlife-Related Policy Bills During 2026 Session
The 2026 Florida Legislature is considering several bills that could affect wildlife and their habitats across the state.
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SPECIFIER PUBLISHING LLC
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Patrick Gillespie
Staff Writers
BLANCHE HARDY, PG
Senior Correspondent
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Emma Cyphers
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Tracy Kistler
Contributing Writers and Columnists
SHANNON KNOWLES
Florida Fish &Wildlife Conservation Commission
CAITLIN BUTLER
St. Johns River Water Management District
CLAY COARSEY
St. Johns River Water Management District
RALPH DEMEO
Adams and Reese
TINA REALE
Florida State University
CASSIDY HAMPTON
Southwest Florida Water Management District
KEYNA CORY
Florida Recycling Partnership
DANIELLE IRWIN
Cummins Cederberg Coastal & Marine Engineering
The 2026 Florida Legislature is considering several bills that could affect wildlife and their habitats across the state.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board in December voted to approve the 2025 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP), providing a framework for future water management decisions and demonstrating how growing water demands can be met through 2045.
The Florida Recycling Partnership recently hosted its first Beyond the Bin webinar, spotlighting successful school recycling programs and practical strategies to build a culture of sustainability.
Across northeast and east-central Florida, the St. Johns River Water Management District (District) works to protect our resources while ensuring a reliable water supply.
Florida has spent years promoting living shorelines as a smarter alternative to hardened seawalls. These projects — using oysters, marsh plants or mangroves — protect property while restoring habitat, improving water quality and strengthening coastal resilience.
After Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff presented options on highly regulated black bear hunting and the public provided their comments at the August and November 2025 Commission meetings, FWC Commissioners approved final proposed amendments to bear hunting rules, which took effect during the 2025 hunting season.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February filed notice in the Federal Register that it will remove the wood stork from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife via a final rule.
The Lake County Water Authority (LCWA) has initiated a four-year program to address nutrients in Lake Yale. Lake Yale is a 4,041-acre Class III Sovereign Submerged Lands waterbody owned by the State of Florida.
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This interview was originally published by AgIsAmerica and is re-published with permission. AgIsAmerica,
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By KEYNA CORY The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation proudly announces the winners of
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By STEVE BRAUN, P.E. For decades, the Mile Marker 35 Rest Area along
Have an idea for a story? Would you like to submit a column for consideration? Please, let us know. And remember to fill us in on your organization’s new people, programs, new offices, projects or technologies — anything of interest to environmental professionals working in Florida. Send to SPECIFIER PUBLISHING
LLC, P.O. Box 1857, Tallahassee, FL 32302.
Florida’s Environmental News Source of Record focused on news content of interest to the environmental community.
SPECIFIER PUBLISHING LLC
Publisher
Editor-In-Chief
Patrick Gillespie
Staff Writers
BLANCHE HARDY, PG
Senior Correspondent
LINA ALFIERI STERN
MBA, MSRED, LEED Green Associate
Copyeditor
Emma Cyphers
Designer
Tracy Kistler
Contributing Writers and Columnists
STEVE BRAUN, PE
Florida Department ofTransportation
SUMMER LINDELIEN
Florida Fish &Wildlife ConservationCommission
JOHN CIMBARO
Florida Fish &Wildlife ConservationCommission
DANIELLE FITZPATRICK
St. Johns River WaterManagement District
JAMES MOONEY
Florida House ofRepresentatives
KEYNA CORY
Florida RecyclingPartnership
KATHERINE SQUITIERI
Southwest Florida WaterManagement District
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