TOURISM RECORD Governor Scott announced in November that Florida set another record in tourism, welcoming 85 million visitors to Florida so far this year. In the third quarter of 2016, 26.9 million people came to the State.
CITRUS UPDATE Orange growers are cautiously optimistic about estimates concerning the citrus production forecast. The latest projection from the Florida Department of Agriculture shows a 3 percent increase for the year.
HUMAN-BEAR CONFLICTS On December 13th, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission granted $825,000 to counties, cities and neighborhood associations to help reduce human-bear conflicts. The counties include Leon, Wakulla, Franklin, Seminole, Lake, Orange, and Santa Rosa, among others. The Legislature allocated $500,000 to the state agency for bear-proofing measures from money raised through fees paid by hunters from the controversial 2015 hunt. An additional $325,000 was raised through sales of “Conserve Wildlife” license plates. Most of the funds will go toward bear-resistant trash cans.
HOLIDAY SPENDING TIPS Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater reminds us to spend wisely this holiday season. Financial planners recommend spending no more than 1.5 percent of your annual income on your holiday shopping. Check out their holiday-specific calculator (here) to see what that means for your family.