ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - An environmental advocacy group is suing Florida's wildlife-protection commission, demanding a stop to a planned bear hunting season in the fall.
Speak Up Wekiva filed the lawsuit Friday in Tallahassee.
The lawsuit claims the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission violated the state constitution by lifting a two-decade ban on bear hunting.
Amendment 5 was passed in 1998 and requires the state to make adequate provision to protect its natural resources.
A commission spokeswoman didn't immediately return a call for comment.
Florida outlawed all bear hunting in 1994. But a bear rebound, as well as an increase in the number of nuisance calls and bears killed by cars, were cited as reasons for allowing a new one-week hunt in the fall. There would be a limit of 200 bears total.
The lawsuit was first reported by WMFE-FM in Orlando.
