SB 230 (Sen. Artiles), “Nonnative Animals”: This bill would allocate $300,000 annually, for two years, from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (2014’s Amendment One) to implement a pilot program focused on mitigating the impact of tegu lizards and other invasive species on public lands. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, would establish this pilot program with the goal of examining the benefits of using strategically deployed hunting teams to target the invasive species and simultaneously collect information for research purposes. FWC would submit a report of findings and recommendations regarding the pilot program to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2020.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation; Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations