|
Financing Relocation in Perpetuity
Over the past year, we have been discussing relocation and how to make it work economically as well as providing conservation land management to Host Sites where one or more recipient sites occur whether they be on state, county, or other conservation lands. During these discussions a foundation for a plan has been coming together that we think will provide the money needed to provide the funding for relocation and to insure that the relocation site management is sustained for a very long period of time.
Key Points:
- The program be based on relocation of tortoises within county boundaries.
If done properly, local governments within the boundaries will likely play a key role in enforcement and coordination. For example a county-based relocation program will provide answers to the single-family home, five or fewer situation to insure tortoises do not continue to be destroyed on these sites.
- Donor Site owners would like to see a program where the fees are established to pay for real segments of the relocation program, not a fee set in Tallahassee and then the money not used to sustain tortoises or habitats within the community for which it was taken.
- The commitment of a Donor Site should be based on the acreage of tortoise habitat being consumed. The value of an acre would be based on the value of the property in the county where the development was to take place.
- FWC and local governments determine what is needed in each county to create a sustainable relocation program for the tortoises currently on lands that are going to be developed annually.
- Some counties have ample conservation land suitable for tortoise relocation but there is a need to carry out pre-location management and then to insure management in perpetuity. In these cases a conservation easement would not be required so the funding would be shifted to a monitoring and management trust fund which would guarantee management for years to come.
- Many developers felt that within the county area (may be municipality) they could organize within their local organizations to come up with a funding plan that all would participate in. This would likely reduce the costs to individual developers.
- If the county or other local governments do not wish to cooperate then the FWC would handle the relocations, setting fees and working on a site-by-site basis.
- Actual costs for relocation will vary based on costs of doing business, land costs, and other issues. It is important, if the program is going to have the money to sustain conservation of tortoises and habitat for any period of time, the fees should be based on the market value of the land and the costs of carrying out the management of the tortoises.
- FWC fees for permits should be kept at a minimum and REFLECT THE COST OF MANAGEING THE RELOCATION PROGRAM WITHIN A COUNTY. Some counties will do a great deal of the management and this would be worked out through an MOU
- Fees should be established for protected commensals and plans done to handle their management. Multiple species plans should be developed where other listed species occurring on the same habitat. This is especially true if there is an onsite relocation.
EXPLANATION OF THE DIAGRAM (Click here for the diagram.)
DONOR SITE
- This section simply reflects the work required to receive a permit leading to the tortoises being relocated. It should be noted in our discussions with consultants in our courses, they felt that a 100% survey of the tortoises and a more complete review of tortoise habitat would raise the fees somewhat.
- Monitoring and Management Trust Fund
The comments about having an independent trust fund where the principle would be great enough to handle the routine monitoring and management in perpetuity, is absolutely needed. Why because all agencies have demonstrated great shortfalls in both monitoring and management. On private lands, currently there are no funds provided or management expected. A Conservation Easement plays for giving up the development rights and then for establishing a permanent use plan of the habitat. There is no way an Easement can pay for management in perpetuity, especially if ownership changes. It can only be established in a way that the landowner must allow that management to take place (e.g. through the fund).
Paying for the Trust
- The fees for the Trust Fund would come directly from the Donor Site. If the Donor Site has to pay for a Conservation Easement (or part of it based on the number of tortoises being relocated on the land), then a certain amount, based on the number of acres lost and the land cost in the county would determine the contribution to the Trust.
- Cost of Pre- and Post Recipient Site Management
These are in part, costs that are currently being incurred or, that are provided to the Host Site owner. The costs will be greater than they are now (50% or more) because of the need to establishing monitoring programs and sustaining the enclosure.
- Post Management of Site. Projected fee for 25 years of monitoring and management should be paid to the private landowner. . This cost would be supported by the monitoring and management plan submitted for permitting. State lands have budgets for monitoring and management. Additional costs over what is budgeted would be put into the Trust Fund.
- Landowner Income. Adjustment for loss of income and/or the fees that the landowner wishes to make in profit for this effort will be paid. In the case of conservation lands that have income from forestry, the loss of production on recipient sites would be paid.
- Perpetual Conservation Easement
Or, the purchase or trade of tortoise habitat by one or more of the developers within a county. Perpetual Conservation Easements are the only way outside of fee simple purchase that will insure that recipient sites are not developed or otherwise destroyed. As previously pointed out, these costs around 60% of the current land value. That is for a basic easement in which the owner gives up the development rights, additional restrictions increase the fees.
Easements can be used to insure that monitoring management is done. If the land owner does not comply, then the easement may be revoked and the fee repaid.
Print or download this page. |
|
