Seminole County considers requiring residents to post 'Bear Activity' signs

As Central Florida’s population continues to grow, one local county is focused on teaching residents how to live with the wildlife that was here first.

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In 2021 Seminole County began ramping up education efforts particularly in areas of high bear activity.

Next week, Seminole County commissioners will consider an ordinance that will ask developers to help with education efforts.

If approved, developers would be responsible for posting and maintaining bear awareness signage at the entrance, exits, and common areas of new developments in areas of high bear activity.

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It comes as FWC has continued to report a steady increase in bear related calls.

In 2023, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission received more than 7,000 bear related calls for service, that’s much higher than when FWC started tracking bear related calls in 2004.

That year, FWC received nearly 1600 bear related calls.

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Seminole County leaders told Channel 9 they believe education is especially important because the county continues to see residents who haven’t lived in areas of bear activity before.

“We have 1000s of people moving in every day from other areas of the country that may not have lived with bears,” said County Commissioner Andria Herr, “We need our new residents to understand how to live with them.”

Herr says in 2021 the county began their “Bear Aware” initiative.

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Via that initiative, the county works with the property appraiser to notify residents living in the Urban Bear Management Area, a geographic region in NorthWest Seminole County that sees high bear activity.

The initiative reminds residents of county code designed to minimize nuisance encounters such as ensuring trash is secured and regularly cleaning and storing grills.

“We want to make sure that people are aware. Yes, there are bears here, and then also make them aware that there are regulations that Seminole County has so that they can be responsible property owners,” said Rebecca Hammock, the Development Services Director for Seminole County.

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