MIDWAY — Rep. Doug Broxson (R-Midway) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will host a public workshop for area residents to learn how to prevent bear activity around their homes and property.
During the workshop — set for 5:30 p.m. June 28 at First Baptist Church Navarre’s Fellowship Hall, 9302 Navarre Parkway — FWC officials will answer questions and discuss preventive measures that homeowners can take to reduce the likelihood of a bear encounter.
With Florida’s black bear population growing — after the animals nearly disappeared in the 1970s — people are encountering them more and more. The FWC has reported a dramatic increase in human-bear conflicts in Santa Rosa County.
“The presence of bears in residential areas is still on the rise,” Broxson said. “We must address the safety and property damage concerns of residents by reducing human-bear encounters through FWC teaching citizens proactive measures such as securing attractants like garbage and pet food, spreading awareness, and reporting bear activity.”
While black bears are rarely aggressive toward people, they can become bold when they grow accustomed to feeding on human-provided foods, such as pet foods, garbage, and bird seed. When this happens, black bears associate people with food, and can lose their fear of humans.
By learning how to eliminate food availability, most human-bear conflicts can be prevented, according to the FWC.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Officials plan workshop on bears in Santa Rosa County