If the Southwest Florida Water Management District follows its pattern for hunters in Pasco and Hillsborough counties, more public preserve lands could be opened to hunters in Citrus, Sumter, Marion and Hernando counties.

Although hunters will be granted greater access, SWFWMD said in a statement that it has accepted staff recommendations against expanding hunting in the Green Swamp East, which bridges Lake, Sumter and Polk counties.

Earlier, SWFMD said it agreed to allow some hunting in the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve near New Tampa and in the Green Swamp West Non-Wildlife Management Area in eastern Pasco County.

The board will meet again at 6 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2012 at the Lecanto Government Building, 3600 West Sovereign Path, Suite 166, in Lecanto to discuss opening up more areas.

The lands to be considered here include Citrus County's Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps; lands on the Lake Panasoffkee property that are not already wildlife management areas in Sumter County; Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County; and Weeki Wachee Preserve in Hernando County.

District staff will be available to present information and receive public comment. The draft proposals are available on the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/HuntEvaluation/.

After consideration of public comment, final proposals on these four properties are scheduled to be presented to the District’s 13-member Governing Board at its Jan. 31, 2012 meeting. Any changes in hunting schedules are required to be approved by the Governing Board.

Recommendations for the other four properties that were part of the initial evaluation were presented to the Governing Board at its December 20 meeting. The Board approved expanded hunting at the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve (Non-Wildlife Management Area) and the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve.

SWFWMD currently allows hunting at more than a dozen places in its 16-county area of control.

SO YOU KNOW

• SWFWMD news release