NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

November 17, 2000

CONTACT: Henry Cabbage (850) 488-8843

FWC REALIGNS ITS REGIONAL BOUNDARIES TO EVEN WORKLOAD

[WebMaster Note: For maps of new regions see either our road map with counties by region, or county map with an alphabetical listing of counties showing their regional assigns)]

The 16-month-old Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC's) five administrative regions have been a little out of line with the workload, but that will change Jan. 1.

The FWC's regional boundaries worked fine until last July when the agency assumed jurisdiction over marine resources and immediately doubled in size and responsibility. Regional boundaries were designed for the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, which had jurisdiction over wildlife and freshwater life, but not saltwater life. Officers from the Bureau of Marine Law Enforcement, however, had difficulty patrolling Atlantic and Gulf coasts within individual regions.

Lt. Col. Julie Jones, who headed the committee to restructure the regional boundaries, said the new alignment will correct the problem without disrupting the agency's staff or the public's access to the agency.

"The public won't notice much difference," Jones said. "Only six counties will move into different regions, and the plan calls for a one-year transition, during which residents will still get assistance from offices that no longer are part of their regions."

Under the new alignment:

• The Northwest Region will not change,
• The Northeast Region will be renamed the North Central region; the South Region will be renamed the Southwest Region; the Everglades Region will be renamed the South Region, and the Central Region will be renamed the Northeast Region,
• Duval and Nassau counties (formerly in the Northeast Region) and Indian River County (formerly in the Everglades Region) will become part of the new Northeast Region,
• Citrus County (formerly in the Central Region) and Hernando County (Formerly in the South Region) will become part of the new North Central Region, and
• Glades County (formerly in the South Region) will become part of the new South Region.

Alternate plans to restructure the agency into four and six regions were rejected as impractical and not in line with the FWC's efforts to sustain easy public access. The FWC's Commissioners approved the five-region realignment unanimously during their November meeting in Tallahassee. There was no objection from the public.