Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Encyclopedia
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is a Florida government agency
charged with managing the state's fish and wildlife resources, regulating Florida's fisheries and wildlife, and enforcing related laws. Besides managers, research, and support personnel, the FWC operates as a law enforcement agency
; FWC officers can perform many police
functions in the course of their duties.
A similar agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
serves as the environmental regulatory agency for the state of Florida, enforcing environmental legislation (air and water quality for example).
The FWC is headquartered in Tallahassee
, the state capital. It has over 1,800 full-time employees and maintains a Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, five regional offices, and 73 field offices across the state. Seven commissioners are appointed by the governor.
approved in 1998. The FWC was a result of a merger between the former offices of the Marine Fisheries Commission, Division of Marine Resources and Division of Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
The FWC also has three overarching divisions created for administrative purposes: Community Relations and the Office of Policy and Stakeholder Coordination
Current commissioners:
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
charged with managing the state's fish and wildlife resources, regulating Florida's fisheries and wildlife, and enforcing related laws. Besides managers, research, and support personnel, the FWC operates as a law enforcement agency
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
; FWC officers can perform many police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
functions in the course of their duties.
A similar agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the Florida government agency charged with environmental protection.-History:...
serves as the environmental regulatory agency for the state of Florida, enforcing environmental legislation (air and water quality for example).
The FWC is headquartered in Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, the state capital. It has over 1,800 full-time employees and maintains a Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, five regional offices, and 73 field offices across the state. Seven commissioners are appointed by the governor.
History
The FWC was established on July 1, 1999 as a result of an amendment to the Florida ConstitutionFlorida Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
approved in 1998. The FWC was a result of a merger between the former offices of the Marine Fisheries Commission, Division of Marine Resources and Division of Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the Florida government agency charged with environmental protection.-History:...
, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Departments
The FWC has several divisions:- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
- Division of Hunting and Game Management
- Division of Habitat and Species Conservation
- Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management
- Division of Marine Fisheries Management
- Division of Law Enforcement
- Office of Information Technology
- Office of Recreation Services
The FWC also has three overarching divisions created for administrative purposes: Community Relations and the Office of Policy and Stakeholder Coordination
Commissioners
Commissioners of the FWC are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature for five-year terms. Typically, commissioners come from different geographical areas of the state in order to ensure that the FWC adequately protects the entire state of Florida, but it is not unusual to have multiple commissioners from the same city or region.Current commissioners:
- Rodney Barreto (Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
) (Chairman) - Richard A. Corbett (Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
) (Vice Chairman) - Kathy Barco (Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, FloridaJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
) - Ronald M. Bergeron (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)
- Dwight Stephenson (Delray Beach, FloridaDelray Beach, FloridaDelray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
) - Kenneth W. Wright (Winter Park, FloridaWinter Park, FloridaWinter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
) - Brian S. Yablonski (Tallahassee, FloridaTallahassee, FloridaTallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
)