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HERNANDO CHAPTER |
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HERNANDO CHAPTER |
| ANIMAL INFORMATION Chassahowitzka Interagency Black Bear Working Group by Sid Taylor |
| With 24 in attendance at our last meeting Gene Kelly, from Southwest Florida Water
Management District (Swiftmud), spoke on the Chassahowitzka
Interagency Black Bear Working Group. Swiftmud began the project in 1995 inviting
other agencies to help determine the size and habitat needs of our local black bear
population. The group's goal is to establish a Cooperative Management Plan to help
conserve and sustain the bears. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), Habitat for Bears (Defenders of Wildlife), and the Division of Forestry joined Swiftmud with the effort. Other agencies involved include the Florida Dept. of Transportation, Gulf Coast Conservancy, Florida Crushed Stone, Co., and Vulcan/ICA. The area of the study is Weeki Wachee Preserve, Chassahowitzka area and the Homosassa Wildlife Management Area. To date eleven bears have been collared. Five were collared last fall and six others this spring after torpor. The collars provide radio telemetry for tracking the movement patterns and collecting location data. It seems that the most used bear habitat type is cabbage palm hammocks and narrow strands of sand pine scrub and oak scrub (because of the acorn production). Each collared bear is located twice weekly. Aircraft is generally used for tracking because the study area is 120,000 acres of swamp. Based on preliminary data Veterinarian Mark Cunningham has the population estimated at less than 20 bears. Sky rocketing road kill numbers (75 bears statewide in 1997) create a sense of urgency for conservation measures. From 1976 to 1996 twenty-two bears were killed on roads in the local study area. Goals of the Chassahowitzka Interagency Black Bear Working Group include managing the land while protecting bears and providing guidelines for compatible recreational uses. The monitoring data will also help to plan prescribed fires (controlled burns), natural systems, restoration, and exotic plant control. The Florida Black Bear is listed as a threatened species in our state, and is being considered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for listing as a Federally threatened species. |
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