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FWC hosting public meetings on Lake Okeechobee Management Plan

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Media contact: Michelle Kerr, 727-282-7642 or Michelle.Kerr@MyFWC.com Release Date: 12-20-2021   All Articles Tags:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released the first draft of the Lake Management Plan for Lake Okeechobee and will be hosting two public meetings to gather feedback. These meetings are rescheduled from earlier dates in November.

The first meeting will be in Clewiston on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 6-8 p.m. at the John Boy Auditorium, 1200 W C Owen Ave, Clewiston FL 33440. The second meeting will be held in Okeechobee on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 6-8 p.m. at the Okeechobee Civic Center, 1750 US Highway 98 N, Okeechobee, FL 34972.

After gathering input earlier this year, FWC staff drafted a plan to balance the biological needs of fish and wildlife with the desires of a wide range of stakeholders. To gather final comments, the FWC will be hosting public meetings pertaining to each of the different waterbodies across the state. The in-person meetings will be recorded and the recordings will be available on the Lake Management Plans web page after the meetings.

Lake Management Plans are comprehensive, covering the FWC’s management of a system’s fish, wildlife and habitats. Plans cover management activities within the FWC’s jurisdiction while providing recommendations to partner agencies on items outside of that jurisdiction, such as water levels and water quality. FWC management activities can include, but are not limited to, habitat protection, restoration and enhancement, fisheries management and invasive plant management.

For questions related to the management plans or meetings, contact Ben Shepherd at bshepherd@inwoodinc.com or 407-971-8850, or visit MyFWC.com/Lakes-Plans.

For general waterbody information, fishing forecasts, virtual tours, plant control operation schedules and annual workplans, boat ramp information, and more, visit the “What’s Happening on My Lake” website at MyFWC.com/Lake.