TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Conservationists have filed a lawsuit to halt Florida's first black bear hunt in a decade, arguing that the hunt scheduled for December is unconstitutional and contradicts the state's own policy protecting native species.

State officials approved the hunt in August despite strong opposition . Bear Warriors United filed the complaint against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in circuit court in Tallahassee on Wednesday.

“The FWC’s illegal action undermines its constitutional duty to manage the black bear population based on scientifically supported recommendations, not the whims of the Commission,” the complaint reads.

A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment on the pending litigation.

The conservation group previously filed a

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