Public Hearing Set for FWC Portion of Caravelle Ranch WMA
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will hold a public hearing on the agency’s management plan for Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area in Putnam County. The hearing is Tuesday, July 31, at 7 p.m. in the Tax Deeds Building, Building F, 107 N. Sixth St. Palatka, Fl 32177.
The FWC has management authority over approximately 12,330 acres of the WMA. The rest is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Greenways and Trails.
The purpose of this hearing is to receive public comment on the draft of a 10-year management plan the FWC is developing for its portion of Caravelle Ranch WMA. FWC planners will present components of the draft management plan, followed by a question-and-answer session, and then take public comment.
For more information, go to MyFWC.com/Conservation and select “Terrestrial Programs” then “Management Plans.” To request a copy of the management prospectus, call or email Rebecca Shelton at 850-487-9982 or Rebecca.Shelton@MyFWC.com.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came into existence on July 1, 1999 - the result of a constitutional amendment approved in the 1998 General Election as part of the package proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission.
In the implementation of the Constitutional Amendment, the Florida Legislature combined all of the staff and Commissioners of the former Marine Fisheries Commission, elements of the Divisions of Marine Resources and Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Five years later, after consulting stakeholders, employees and other interested parties, the FWC adopted a new internal structure to address complex conservation issues of the new century. The new structure focuses on programs, such as habitat management, that affect numerous species. It will focus on moving the decision-making process closer to the public and did not require any additional funding or additional positions.
