Press - Angered by rules to protect gopher tortoises

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Posted by Wes von Papine�u on October 05, 2000 at 07:15:53:

HERALD-TRIBUNE (Sarasota, Florida) 01 October 00 Developers angered by rules to protect gopher tortoises
St. Petersburg (AP): Developers are angry at a proposal by state wildlife officials that would require them to test gopher tortoises for infection before relocating them.
The state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is proposing a rule that would require developers test some members of a tortoise colony before removing them from their burrows and transporting them elsewhere. The rule is scheduled for debate at public hearings this month.
"The fear is that we're taking diseased animals and moving them into healthy populations," said Henry Mushinsky, a University of South Florida biology professor who has studied tortoises.
The proposal comes after the foot-long reptiles began spreading a respiratory infection after being relocated by developers.
The relocation efforts began as a humane alternative to the past practice of bulldozing their tunnels, resulting in the death of 30,000 of the ancient creatures in the past decade.
Developers can still get a permit to pave over the tortoise burrows -- but only if they pay several thousand dollars per acre to a state mitigation fund that buys tortoise habitat elsewhere.
If the tortoises test positive for the respiratory disease, they would have to stay put, said Brian Milsap, of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection.
But Florida's builders complain the state, not they, should pick up the $50 tab for the tests. And more importantly, they say, is the time it takes to get the test results, which can take several months.
"If the state's mandating these things be tested, they ought to pay for that cost," said Keith Hetrick of the Florida Home Builders Association.
State officials say this is an important first step in trying to change the way they handle the tortoises, which can weigh up to 10 pounds.
But gopher tortoise expert George Heinrich says that halting relocation of sick tortoises is too little to help the Florida natives, which he says are near enough to extinction to warrant inclusion on the federal endangered species list.
"The bottom line isn't 'Should we be testing to see if we're moving this bacteria around?' " said Heinrich, a park ranger at Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Petersburg. "What should be discussed is 'Should we be moving the tortoises at all?' " Heinrich says that not only does relocation of tortoises spread diseases and create problems between new and old colonies, it ignores the biggest factor in tortoise management -- loss of habitat.
The gopher tortoises were common in scrub habitats in the Southeast, making their homes in burrows up to 40 feet long and 18 feet deep.
The burrows also house up to 360 other species, including frogs and snakes on the endangered list.
The high, dry habitat of the gopher tortoise is also prime real estate for subdivisions, malls and roads. In spite of its classification as a state "species of special concern," the upland locations are fast being developed.
Heinrich acknowledges that halting development on the gopher's upland habitat is not realistic. But he remains a critic.
"Biologists have showed over and over again that relocation just does not work," Heinrich said. "It's ludicrous."

Developers angered by rules to protect gopher tortoises

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Re: Thanks for the article Wes James 10/06/00 (0)
Re: I'm in George Heinrich's corner on this issue..n/p Giovanni 10/05/00 (0)

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: HERALD-TRIBUNE (Sarasota, Florida) 01 October 00 Developers angered by rules to protect gopher tortoises : St. Petersburg (AP): Developers are angry at a proposal by state wildlife officials that would require them to test gopher tortoises for infection before relocating them. : The state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is proposing a rule that would require developers test some members of a tortoise colony before removing them from their burrows and transporting them elsewhere. The rule is scheduled for debate at public hearings this month. : "The fear is that we're taking diseased animals and moving them into healthy populations," said Henry Mushinsky, a University of South Florida biology professor who has studied tortoises. : The proposal comes after the foot-long reptiles began spreading a respiratory infection after being relocated by developers. : The relocation efforts began as a humane alternative to the past practice of bulldozing their tunnels, resulting in the death of 30,000 of the ancient creatures in the past decade. : Developers can still get a permit to pave over the tortoise burrows -- but only if they pay several thousand dollars per acre to a state mitigation fund that buys tortoise habitat elsewhere. : If the tortoises test positive for the respiratory disease, they would have to stay put, said Brian Milsap, of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection. : But Florida's builders complain the state, not they, should pick up the $50 tab for the tests. And more importantly, they say, is the time it takes to get the test results, which can take several months. : "If the state's mandating these things be tested, they ought to pay for that cost," said Keith Hetrick of the Florida Home Builders Association. : State officials say this is an important first step in trying to change the way they handle the tortoises, which can weigh up to 10 pounds. : But gopher tortoise expert George Heinrich says that halting relocation of sick tortoises is too little to help the Florida natives, which he says are near enough to extinction to warrant inclusion on the federal endangered species list. : "The bottom line isn't 'Should we be testing to see if we're moving this bacteria around?' " said Heinrich, a park ranger at Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Petersburg. "What should be discussed is 'Should we be moving the tortoises at all?' " Heinrich says that not only does relocation of tortoises spread diseases and create problems between new and old colonies, it ignores the biggest factor in tortoise management -- loss of habitat. : The gopher tortoises were common in scrub habitats in the Southeast, making their homes in burrows up to 40 feet long and 18 feet deep. : The burrows also house up to 360 other species, including frogs and snakes on the endangered list. : The high, dry habitat of the gopher tortoise is also prime real estate for subdivisions, malls and roads. In spite of its classification as a state "species of special concern," the upland locations are fast being developed. : Heinrich acknowledges that halting development on the gopher's upland habitat is not realistic. But he remains a critic. : "Biologists have showed over and over again that relocation just does not work," Heinrich said. "It's ludicrous."

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