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Draft Biological Goal for the Gopher Tortoise in Florida
The overall goal for gopher tortoise conservation is to restore and
maintain secure, viable populations of gopher tortoises throughout the
species’ current (2005) range in Florida. The current cause of
imperilment to the gopher tortoise identified by the biological status
report is the rate of population decline, primarily due to habitat loss.
Accomplishing this overall goal will require reducing the rate of gopher
tortoise population decline to a level that qualifies the species for a
less imperiled listing status, or removal from listing status.
Therefore the biological goal for the gopher tortoise is: decrease the
rate of decline of the gopher tortoise so that, within one tortoise
generation (30 years), the rate of decline is less than the percentage
decline which defines the current listing category (i.e. < 50% over 3
generations to go from threatened to species of special concern; or < 30%
over 3 generations to go from species of special concern to removal from
the list.)
Specific measurable objectives to reduce the rate of decline will be
addressed in the gopher tortoise species management plan. In order to
reduce the rate of decline the primary objectives are:
- Increase occupied gopher tortoise habitat. There is currently no
conclusive scientific population count for gopher tortoises. The rate of
decline in population size is inferred from the rate of decline in habitat.
Therefore increasing occupied gopher tortoise habitat would tend to
decrease the rate of population decline. This would be accomplished
through:
- Additions to public land acquisition of habitat.
- Additions to private protected lands, e.g. through conservation easements.
- Enhanced management of public lands through FWC management and
coordination with other public land managers.
- Enhanced management of private lands through education and coordination
with landowners and non-profits.
- Restocking of public and private lands which are unoccupied or minimally
occupied.
- Decrease gopher tortoise mortality on lands proposed for development.
This would be a primary objective of gopher tortoise permitting.
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