Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that, following an investigation led by his Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, a prescribed burn conducted by Wildland Fire Services, Inc. on behalf of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission caused the wildfire in Eastpoint, which burned more than 800 acres and destroyed 36 homes. [Read more…] about Commissioner Adam Putnam Announces Cause of Eastpoint Wildfire
Commissioner Adam Putnam
Adam Putnam to Tour Franklin County Wildfire Damage, Visit First Responders
MEDIA ADVISORY
Tomorrow, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam will take a helicopter and ground tour of damage from the Lime Rock Road Fire in Franklin County.
Event: Wildfire Media Availability
Date: Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Eastpoint Volunteer Fire Department
24 6th St, Eastpoint, FL 32328
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.
Commissioner Adam Putnam Provides Update on Franklin County Wildfire
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam issued the following update on the Lime Rock Road Fire in Franklin County:
Lime Rock Road Fire (Franklin County):
- Approximately 950 acres and 80 percent contained.
- Approximately 38 structures destroyed. Law enforcement officers with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as well as the State Fire Marshall’s office will assess structure loss and damage today.
- Approximately 25 Florida Forest Service personnel are on scene with 7 dozers and 5 engines.
- The cause of the wildfire is under investigation.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the families impacted by this devastating wildfire as well as the entire Franklin County community. First responders from across the region sprang into action and rushed to the scene of this fast-moving wildfire, helping to prevent even more destruction. Florida has a year-round wildfire season, and I encourage Floridians to be vigilant,” said Commissioner Adam Putnam.
The Florida Forest Service urges residents to be cautious with fire and heat sources and to remember the following:
- Develop and implement a family wildfire action plan;
- Call 911 or a local Florida Forest Service field unit office immediately in the event of a wildfire;
- Obey Florida’s outdoor burning laws;
- Never burn on windy days;
- Always keep a water source and suppression tools on hand when burning yard debris;
- Never leave an outdoor fire or hot grill unattended; and
- Avoid parking vehicles on dry grass.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FloridaForestService.com.
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.
Statement by Adam Putnam on Florida’s Upgraded Credit Rating, Fiscal Health
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam released the following statement today after Moody’s Investors Service announced it updated Florida’s general obligation (GO) rating to Aaa from Aa1, giving Florida triple-A credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies.
“Putting Florida’s economy back on track through strong fiscal management practices and reducing our state’s debt has been the top priority of Governor Scott, the Chief Financial Officer, the Attorney General and mine since taking our positions.
“Today, thanks to the hard work of many, Florida has triple-A credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies and has paid down $9 billion in state debt.
“But Florida’s economic success story is not over and complacency is not a strategy, we must continue to do all that we can to make Florida’s economy and finances as strong and resilient as possible.”
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.
Senators Stewart and Rader call for independent Senate investigation into Commissioner Putnam’s agency background check failure
Jolted by Commissioner Adam Putnam’s admission that his Department of Agriculture (DACS) issued hundreds of concealed carry permits to ineligible applicants, and the subsequent failure to immediately disclose the breach until news reports appeared Friday, state Senators Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) and Kevin Rader (D-Delray Beach) on Monday called for a special Senate investigation. [Read more…] about Senators Stewart and Rader call for independent Senate investigation into Commissioner Putnam’s agency background check failure
ICYMI: Commissioner Adam Putnam Sets Record Straight on Concealed Weapon Licenses
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today held a media availability to correct widespread misinformation regarding the concealed weapon license program.
EXCERPTS FROM COMMISSIONER ADAM PUTNAM’S REMARKS: [Read more…] about ICYMI: Commissioner Adam Putnam Sets Record Straight on Concealed Weapon Licenses
League Condemns Lack of Background Check Oversight
For more than a year, the state of Florida failed to conduct national background checks on tens of thousands of applications for concealed weapons permits because an employee could not log into the FBI crime database, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
[Read more…] about League Condemns Lack of Background Check Oversight
Statement from Adam Putnam on concealed weapon licensing story
Please see the following statement from Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam in response to today’s Tampa Bay Times article on the concealed weapon licensing program:
“To be clear, a criminal background investigation was completed on every single application. Upon discovery of this former employee’s negligence in not conducting the further review required on 365 applications, we immediately completed full background checks on those 365 applications, which resulted in 291 revocations. The former employee was both deceitful and negligent, and we immediately launched an investigation and implemented safeguards to ensure this never happens again.”
ADLF: Rick Scott Must Open Independent Investigation Into Background Check Scandal
The American Democracy Legal Fund today called for Gov. Rick Scott to immediately open an independent investigation following a report in the Tampa Bay Times that the state of Florida approved tens of thousands of applications for concealed weapons permits without performing a rigorous background check, allowing people with dangerous intentions or mental health problems to carry a gun in public.
Senator Stewart calls for Adam Putnam to resign following background check failure
Demands background checks be re-run by FDLE to protect Floridians’ safety
State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) on Friday called on Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam to immediately resign following the disclosure that his agency failed to conduct national background checks, allowing possibly dangerous individuals to obtain concealed carry permits.
She also called for the background checks to be handed off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and for those under question to be re-run through the FBI’s crime database.
“I am extremely alarmed at the failure by Commissioner Putnam to disclose that his agency had failed to conduct these critical background checks – allowing possibly mentally disturbed individuals and others who should be disqualified, to be legally armed in Florida,” said Stewart. “I’m equally alarmed that officials from his agency tried to conceal the lax oversight by pushing legislation to cover up that failure, and downplayed the real reasons for the bill.
“He needs to resign.”
During the 2018 legislative session, Senator Stewart said that officials from Putnam’s agency came to her office to push for passage of legislation that would have required concealed permits to be approved if the applications had lingered.
Asked about why such a move was necessary, the Senator said that Putnam’s representatives downplayed the motives, insisting that it was more of a housekeeping move, and not a big deal.
That provision was only pulled from consideration following the Parkland massacre.
“These are the kinds of tricks that cannot be tolerated,” said Senator Stewart. “Lives were put in jeopardy by their attempts to conceal what had actually happened, and remain in danger now because of their ineptitude. This process needs to be immediately taken over by FDLE and these applications need to be re-examined.”
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services failed to run applicants for concealed carry permits through the FBI crime database for more than a year because an employee of the agency could not log in.
The failure means that those individuals who should have been barred from receiving a permit due to disqualifying backgrounds, such as a mental illness, were never flagged.
