STEINHATCHEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $1 million to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Foundation Wednesday in Steinhatchee to help fishing communities impacted by Hurricane Helene and Milton.
DeSantis said this grant, which comes from the Florida Disaster Fund, will help rebuild critical waterside infrastructure and fisheries impacted by the hurricanes, especially Helene.
Recommended Videos
“It did a lot of damages to businesses, to homes. And this is something that is really impactful for this community, for people’s lives, and for the state of Florida,” DeSantis said during a news conference.
RELATED | Florida communities hit three times by hurricanes grapple with how and whether to rebuild
DeSantis said early surveys indicated damage to fisheries, impacting not only the local economy but also the tourism industry and access to seafood.
He added that the Fish and Wildlife Foundation will make an additional grant to supplement to help build boat slips, rebuild boathouses, and other critical infrastructure.
“We really want to support our fishing industry, and we understand how important the infrastructure is,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis also announced discounts on fishing and hunting licenses.
- 50% discount on lifetime sportsman licenses for kids up to 17 years old
- 50% discount for annual and five-year multisport licenses for fishing and hunting (Oct. 25 to Jan. 3)
- $5 licenses for annual and five-year multi-sport licenses for salt and freshwater fishing
FWC’s Executive Director Roger Young praised DeSantis’ leadership and commitment in times of natural disasters to help the fishing community.
“FWC will continue to work with the Department of Emergency Management and our state and local partners to clear access to boat ramps to get back on the waterways to help our people work on the water, get back to work,” Young said.
Local business owners also joined DeSantis Wednesday to share the impact of the recent storms and how the FWC was helping them rebuild the vital fisheries in Florida.
The owners of the Sea Hag Marina said they plan on reopening the marina on Nov. 1.
“With us being open, we will help everybody else get open,” Charlie Norwood said.