Help plan the future of the Dinner Island Ranch WMA

Photos available

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will present the draft materials for the Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area 10-year Land Management Plan at a public hearing in Hendry County on Wednesday, July 8.

The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at UF/IFAS Extension Hendry County, 1085 Pratt Blvd., in LaBelle. The public is encouraged to attend and will have the opportunity to comment and ask questions regarding the Land Management Plan for the FWC-managed WMA.

Less than 30 miles from the vast waters of Lake Okeechobee, the Dinner Island Ranch WMA conserves 38,965 acres of land within a corridor of conservation lands and projects that stretch from the Caloosahatchee River to the Big Cypress Swamp Preserve. Set in the heart of Hendry County within a rural, remote landscape of conservation lands, ranches and agriculture, the Dinner Island Ranch WMA and other nearby conservation lands protect vital habitat for the Florida panther and other imperiled species, including the Everglade snail kite, crested caracara and Big Cypress fox squirrel. The Dinner Island Ranch WMA also maintains the hydrological connection with other conservation lands to the south, including the Big Cypress Swamp Preserve.

For more information regarding this and other upcoming public hearings, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation then click "Terrestrial Conservation" and "Management." Hunting and fishing regulations are not included in this plan or public hearing; they are addressed through a separate public process. To learn more about hunting and fishing visit MyFWC.com/Hunting and click on the Hunting Handbook under "Regulations" or MyFWC.com/Fishing and select either Saltwater Recreational Regulations or Freshwater Recreational Regulations.

For additional information about Land Management Plans, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation, click "Terrestrial Conservation," then scroll to "Management Plans (WMA)." To obtain a copy of the draft elements of the Management Plan for the Spirit-of-the-Wild 758587 WMA, contact [email protected].

Pursuant to Chapters 253 and 259, Florida Statutes, all lands purchased with public funds must have a Land Management Plan that ensures the property will be managed in a manner that is consistent with the intended purposes of the purchase.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting should notify the agency at least five calendar days before the meeting by calling 850-488-6411 or contacting the agency using the Florida Relay Service at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or 800-955-8770 (Voice), if you are hearing or speech impaired. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility, or if you need more information, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at:

FWC, Office of Human Resources

620 S Meridian Street,

Tallahassee, FL 32399

Or write to:

Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights

Department of the Interior

1849 C Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20240