Sarasota County commissioners today approved a new policy that would allow hunting on publicly-owned preserves in the county, including land bought with money from a special tax for protecting sensitive land and wildlife. The Herald-Tribune reports that the commission voted 4-1 to lift the longstanding ban on hunting, despite opponents’ concerns about public safety and about language in the preservation tax designed to prevent hunting on protected lands. The commission was also advised by two citizen-run advisory committees to hold off on changing hunting rules.
