A resolution designating March 15, 2025, as "National Osceola Turkey Day".
This is a non-binding Senate resolution that designates March 15, 2025, as “National Osceola Turkey Day.” The resolution honors the Osceola or Florida wild turkey—an emblem of Florida and a component of American hunting heritage—while highlighting its cultural significance, its status as a Florida-only subspecies, and the role of conservation and habitat programs in supporting turkey populations. It notes the economic activity generated by turkey hunting and the funding mechanisms (notably Florida’s Wild Turkey Cost Share Program) that support habitat management and research. The resolution encourages Americans to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. There is no new federal authorization or funding tied to the designation.
Key Points
- 1Designates March 15, 2025, as “National Osceola Turkey Day.”
- 2Emphasizes the Osceola (Florida wild turkey) as a distinct subspecies found only in peninsular Florida and notes its place within the broader context of American wild turkey hunting, including the “Grand Slam” pursuit requiring Florida.
- 3Highlights the economic and cultural importance of turkey hunting, including annual hunter participation and consumer spending, and cites the Florida Wild Turkey Cost Share Program as a major public-private habitat funding effort.
- 4Points out that the program has funded habitat management on over 1,000,000 acres since 1994 and that permit revenues support conservation, research, and the promotion of hunting heritage.
- 5Encourages observance of National Osceola Turkey Day through ceremonies and activities and references the opening dates of Florida's turkey hunting season (March 1 partial opening, March 15 statewide opening).