News & Updates

Florida seeks input from the public on draft revisions to the gopher tortoise management

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved the Gopher Tortoise Management Plan in 2007 and reclassified the gopher tortoise to Threatened. The management plan calls for a revision at least every 5 years. FWC is scheduled to bring the draft revisions to the Gopher Tortoise Management Plan to the September 5-7, 2012 Commission meeting; exactly five years following the adoption. A draft gopher tortoise management plan has been prepared, and the Commission is now requesting written comments on the plan, including those regarding conservation recommendations and expected economic and social impacts of implementing the plan. A copy of the draft management plan is available on the gopher tortoise stakeholders GTTAG SharePoint site. Comments can be submitted electronically on the commenting portal on the GTTAG SharePoint site, or via email to GT_Plan@MyFWC.com. Comments not submitted electronically may be mailed to Gopher Tortoise Management Plan, 620 S. Meridian St., MS 2A, Tallahassee, FL 32399. Comments will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. (EDT), June 25, 2012.  Florida has a broad public records law. Your written communications, including e-mails, are public records subject to public disclosure.

To stay informed on future public meetings and opportunities to provide input on revisions to the management plan, join the Listserv by sending an email to GT_Plan@MyFWC.com and include "Subscribe GTSTAKEHOLDERS-L" in the subject line.

The final draft of the proposed revisions to the management plan is planned to be presented at the September 2012 FWC Commission meeting.

Make a Donation to the Wildlife Foundation of Florida and help protect the gopher tortoise

The Gopher Tortoise Habitat Fund was established by a private donor to help further the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) management plan to protect the threatened gopher tortoise. You can also help conserve the gopher tortoise! Donations will help obtain gopher tortoise habitat and assist with the cost of land-management activities needed to maintain suitable living and foraging conditions.

Recipient site certification benefits both the gopher tortoise and landowners

Private landowners can play a key role in helping conserve and restore gopher tortoise habitat and several elements of the plan are of direct interest to private landowners. One exciting element is the opportunity for landowners to have their land certified as a gopher tortoise recipient site. Recipient sites are where tortoises displaced by development will be relocated under a new permitting system created under the management plan.  Landowners that have their properties certified as recipient sites may receive financial compensation from the donor site owner (such as a developer).

The objective of the recipient site program is to provide the highest level of long-term security for the gopher tortoise and its habitat on certified recipient sites. Recipient sites will be evaluated based on tortoise habitat attributes, such as those containing well drained soils, open or sparse tree canopy, or a healthy groundcover of herbaceous plants.

Recipient sites will require active management to ensure that habitat continues to remain suitable for the gopher tortoise. To assist with this management, the FWC coordinates internally with its landowner assistance programs to enhance the application of these programs on appropriate privately owned uplands for gopher tortoise conservation.

Technical and financial assistance is available for several habitat management activities (e.g., prescribed burning, vegetation management). If you are interested in applying to have your land certified as a gopher tortoise recipient site, or are interested in learning more about the gopher tortoise management plan, please contact the gopher tortoise conservation biologist in your region.

The new permitting guidelines that include the full description on gopher tortoise recipient sites are available for download at MyFWC.com/GopherTortoise. Applications for recipient site permits are currently being accepted.