PALATKA, Fla., Aug. 3, 2000 — Permits go on sale Aug. 11 to allow hunting this fall in fivetype II wildlife management areas (WMA) that are owned or managed by theSt. Johns River Water Management District.

The five areas are:

• Upper St. Johns River Marsh Type II WMA (Brevard, Indian River and Osceola counties)
• Emeralda Marsh Type II WMA (Lake County)
• Dunns Creek Type II WMA (Putnam County)
• Bayard Type II WMA (Clay County)
• Ralph E. Simmons Memorial State Forest Type II WMA, (Nassau County)

Permits to hunt atthe Emeralda Marsh, Dunns Creek, Bayard and the Ralph E. Simmons MemorialState Forest are $25 plus a $1 handling fee. Permits for the Upper St.Johns River Marsh cost $15 plus a $1 handling fee.

Purchased with theultimate goal of protecting the state’s water resources, these propertiescontinue to provide public opportunities for quality hunts and other outdoorrecreation.

Emeralda Marsh Area3 will be closed to hunting this season to allow for improvements to themarsh filtration system. These improvements should enhance habitat forwaterfowl and other fish and wildlife in the future.

Quality quota huntsare established at Dunns Creek, Bayard and the Ralph E. Simmons MemorialState Forest Type II WMAs by limiting the number of permits issued foreach area. The permits are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Twenty permits willbe issued for each hunting period for Bayard WMA and 15 permits will beissued for Dunns Creek WMA, which includes Archery I (Sept. 23-Oct. 8),Archery II (Nov. 18-Nov. 26) and Muzzleloading Gun (Oct. 28-Nov. 5). Hunterscan buy one permit for each of the fall Bayard hunt periods at the ClayCounty Tax Collector’s Office in Green Cove Springs. Hunters can buy onepermit for each of the fall Dunns Creek hunt periods at the Putnam CountyTax Collector’s Office in Palatka.

Thirty permits willbe issued for each hunting period at the Ralph E. Simmons Memorial StateForest WMA, which includes: Archery (Sept. 23-Oct. 1), General Gun forthe mobility impaired (Oct. 14-Oct. 17), Muzzleloading Gun (Oct. 28-Nov.5), General Gun (Nov. 18-Nov. 26), Small Game I (Dec. 18-Dec. 31) andSmall Game II (Feb. 3-Feb.11).

To hunt at the RalphE. Simmons Memorial State Forest WMA, a hunter can purchase one permitfor each of the fall hunt periods at the Nassau County Tax Collector’sOffice in Fernandina Beach.

No hunt quotas arein place in the Upper St. Johns River Marsh and the Emeralda Marsh WMAs.

Hunting dates inthe Upper St. Johns River Marsh are: Archery (Sept. 23-Oct. 22), MuzzleloadingGun (Oct. 28-Nov. 5), General Gun (Nov. 11-Jan. 21), Small Game (Jan.22-March 4), hunting hogs with dogs (Jan. 26-Jan. 30), and fall turkey(Nov. 5-Jan. 1).

Applications forthe Upper St. Johns River Marsh are available at tax collectors' officesin Brevard, Indian River, Osceola, Orange and St. Lucie counties. Applicationsfor the Emeralda Marsh are available at the tax collectors' offices inLake, Marion, Orange and Sumter counties.

Throughout the year,all of the Type II WMAs provide a wide variety of other recreational opportunitiesincluding horseback riding, hiking, bicycling, camping and bird-watching.

For more information,contact Karen Davis at the District’s Division of Land Management at (386) 329-4404.

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