HB 491 - Florida Black Bear Habitat Restoration Act

• Creates section 379.3018, Florida Statutes, establishing the "Florida Black Bear Habitat Restoration Act" to coordinate bear protection efforts among the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Department of Environmental Protection

• Establishes a Bear-Resistant Garbage Container Account with at least $1 million in appropriations to fund purchases of bear-resistant garbage containers by county and municipal governments in areas prone to human-bear conflicts

• Prohibits recreational hunting of Florida black bears until July 1, 2027, and requires the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct a 5-year population trend study analyzing potential impacts of hunting

• Restricts land management practices in bear habitats by prohibiting roller-chopping of saw palmettos, prohibiting sale of timbering rights for acorn-producing oak trees on state lands, and prohibiting saw palmetto berry harvesting on designated bear habitat

• Requires prescribed burns in bear habitat during January through May to obtain certification that no adult female bears with juvenile offspring are currently denning in the burn site before ignition