The suggestion that you can sit on Florida’s top wildlife board will change

When Florida is facing rapid development, who should sit on the state’s top wildlife committee, tasked with overseeing fish and wildlife regulations?

Key state Democrat representatives want to see the changes in the Wildlife Committee appointed by Ron DeSantis. And she wants voters to decide them.

Rep. Anna Eskamani of D-Orlando has introduced a joint resolution reforming the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee and introducing scientists, local officials and environmental experts to the board and Barr, who made large-scale political donations.

Escamani said the change “better reflects environmental priorities and scientific best practices” as Florida ecosystems face a variety of threats, from habitat loss to pollution.

The proposal comes from the committee’s recent decision to lift protections at St. Cloud Area Shelter to give way to toll roads as it has risen around the recent Wildlife Commission.

Currently, Desantis has appointed all seven commissioners to serve five years of unpaid term, but environmental advocacy groups claim that these picks support the developer and have a record of conflicts of interest.

For example, board critics point to Rodney Barrett, a well-known Miami businessman, after wanting to drove and fill the property just south of John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in Riviera Beach.

Gary Nicklaus, son of famous golfer Jack Nicklaus, was also appointed by DeSantis to sit on the Wildlife Committee in 2022.

The Tampa Bay Times in December revealed that Jack Nicklaus toured Jonathan Dickinson State Park last year to scout it as a potential site for the golf course development.

Gary Nicklaus issued a statement that the golf course plans were “not launched by me” as they swirled around the DeSantis administration over development plans for the state park last summer. The state park proposal was launched by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, not the Wildlife Commission.

According to the language of resolution, there are several important changes to the committee proposed by Eskamani.

For one, the board will increase to nine members rather than seven.

Florida’s agricultural institutions select two farmers or ranchers. The state’s environmental department selects hunters or anglers and conservationists. The pollution prevention department selects scientists, and the governor selects four appointees.

The governor’s four picks include two local officials. One represents more than 250,000 counties, and one represents a rural population.

Each year, the commissioner receives four hours of ethical training and is subject to investigations of potential ethical or conflicts of interest in accordance with the resolution. The measure also prohibits donors or appointers donated by their spouse to any political party at least $1,000.

While staff at the Florida Wildlife Commission are committed to scientists presenting data on fish and wildlife populations, the intention behind the proposal is to get a better balance among decision makers who vote for the vote, Eskamani said.

“We cannot continue this path, we have to give something,” Eskamani said in an interview. “One of the clear needs is because of a governing body that is not only based on political preferences or industry preferences, but is actually based on expertise.”

Wildlife Commission spokesman Shannon Knowles said in an emailed statement that the agency had not commented on the proposed law. A spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit that works closely with the committee, said he also had no comment on the legislative proposal.

With Republican majority in both the Florida home and the Senate and without a fellow version of the Senate resolution, Escamani’s proposal faces a difficult battle at this year’s legislative meeting. The measure is intended to amend the state constitution, and requires three-fifths of approval in both chambers. If approved, voters will decide on this measure in future elections.

Recognizing these challenges, Eskamani said he hopes that measures about the Tallahassee Wildlife Committee will force conversations.

The latest efforts to reform Florida’s Wildlife Commission came after a 2024 documentary on how Florida’s Gopher turtle populations are being threatened by ramp-stretched development.

Film director Brent Fanin launched a petition in June to bring about changes to the committee, and then worked with the Eskamani team to create a formal proposal. As of this month, around 6,000 people have signed the petition.

“This bill creates a committee that represents people,” Fan Nin said in an interview Monday. “At least we’re starting a conversation.”