Franklin, Gulf and Wakulla counties receive funding to bear proof garbage cans

 Twelve counties, including Franklin, Gulf and Wakulla Counties, have been chosen to receive funding aimed to curb human-bear conflicts.

The money, which is coming from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be used to provide more residents with bear-resistant equipment to help reduce the number of bears spending time in neighborhoods.

Specifically it will help make garbage cans bear proof to lower the chances of bears coming into residential areas.

Unsecured trash is the No. 1 reason that bears enter neighborhoods and come into conflict with people.

Franklin County will receive $3,400 total through the grants.

The county will receive $2,400 and the City of Carrabelle will receive $1,000 to modify regular trash cans to make them bear-resistant.

Gulf County will receive over 25 thousand dollars to modify regular trash cans to make them bear-resistant for residents in the southern portion of the county.

Wakulla County was awarded nearly 20 thousand dollars to provide bear-resistant trash cans to residents at a discounted cost.

In total the state is providing 825 thousand dollars in grants.

Much of the money comes from permit sales for the 2015 bear hunt, and some came from the State Game Trust Fund.

Some of the funding also came from proceeds of the Conserve Wildlife Tag license plate. 

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