Updated Gopher Tortoise Guidelines effective July 1, 2010

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has approved the June draft 2010 revisions to the Gopher Tortoise Permitting Guidelines. You may access the new guidelines by visiting the FWC website at http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/GopherTortoise_BreakingNews.htm

Notable Revisions to the guidelines include:

• Clarification of impacts which occur within the 25 foot buffer of a burrow. A FWC permit is not required if development activities avoid impacts to tortoise burrows by 25 feet in all directions from the mouth of all burrows. Leaving a 50 foot diameter circle of habitat around each burrow and developing the rest of a project site does not qualify and requires a permit to ensure that gopher tortoises are not harmed.
  
  
• Addition of Mitigation contributions for Temporary Exclusion permits. Table 1 located on Page 8 of the revised guidelines details the mitigation costs associated with each permit type. Mitigation contributions associated with the Temporary Exclusion permits are as follows:
  • $100/tortoise (exclusions <2 months)
  • $200/tortoise (exclusions 2 to 4 months)
  • $300/tortoise (exclusions 4 to 6 months)
  
  
  
• The Settlement Permit has been renamed to the Disturbed Site Permit. Full details on the Disturbed Site Permit can be found on page 27 of the revised guidelines.
  
  
• The marking scheme has been revised. Appendix 5 (page 47) contains the new marking schematic.
  
  
• The marking options have been revised; previously scute marking had to be conducted via drilling through the appropriate scute OR tortoises could be marked via pit tagging; now there are restrictions against drilling certain scutes due to safety concerns, and filing of scutes with triangular file is now an option for marking tortoises as well.
  
  
• Addition of Authorized Agent - Trainer permit. This permit is required in order to train others in activities and techniques associated with trapping, handling, and relocating tortoises with completion of a FWC approved training course. Applicants must specify which courses and sections they will be teaching and provide a letter from the approved training entity verifying employment or agreement to train.
  
  
• Addition of Burrow or Structure Protection permit. Burrow or Structure Protection permits are available when the integrity or utility of an existing structure is jeopardized by one or two burrows and therefore poses a public safety concern or if the safety of the resident tortoise is compromised. Tortoises must be relocated onsite. If no suitable habitat exists onsite, the applicant may quality for a 10 or Fewer Burrows permit.
  
  
• Revised financial assurance requirements
  
  
• Addition of Appendix 13: "Criteria for Gopher Tortoise Recipient Sites to Qualify as Research Sites."

Please keep in mind that it is the AAs responsibility to stay current with these rules and regulations, with the full understanding that the guidelines will continue to be a 'work in progress' as new and additional amendments are worked out for next years' amendment process.