PLUM CREEK GIVES DISPLACED GOPHER TORTOISES PERMANENT HOME

GAINESVILLE, Fla.--April 28, 2009--Fifteen gopher tortoises received a new home this week, thanks to Plum Creek, Waste Pro of Florida, Inc., the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The tortoises arrived at their permanent new home within the Lochloosa Conservation Easement on a site owned by Plum Creek and under a pre-existing conservation easement with the SJRWMD since 1995. This site is the first in the state to meet the standards of the Gopher Tortoise Management Plan established by the FWC in 2007.  

Although found in all 67 Florida counties, gopher tortoise populations have declined an estimated 60-80 percent in the past century, generally because of reduced habitat from increasing development.  In 2006, the FWC began working to reclassify them from a Species of Special Concern to a Threatened Species and in July of 2007, an interim policy was implemented requiring relocation of gopher tortoises from all development sites.  The reclassification became official in November 2007 following final approval of the species management plan.  

“We have worked closely with numerous stakeholders to establish more appropriate and effective guidelines for restoring and maintaining viable gopher tortoise populations throughout the state,” said Deborah Burr, Gopher Tortoise Plan coordinator.  “The new permitting system offers incentives to relocate gopher tortoises into managed lands with permanent conservation.”

This new permitting framework provides incentives to landowners to manage their habitat for gopher tortoises, other animals that depend on gopher tortoise habitat, and other native wildlife species. 

Plum Creek received the FWC’s first Recipient Site Permit under the management plan in April 2008. The permit authorized the set up of a new home for 1,781 displaced gopher tortoises.  Plum Creek established the 570-acre site within the Lochloosa Conservation Easement, making alterations to the existing and future timber management plans to provide desirable habitat features for the tortoises.  This included thinning the trees, performing controlled burns to allow recruitment of preferred foliage growing closer to the ground, and establishing a silt fence as a “soft enclosure” around the perimeter of the site.

“The success of the gopher tortoise management plan and the future of the gopher tortoise are dependent upon partnerships like this one,” Burr said.  “We applaud Plum Creek’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.”

 The site meets FWC’s requirement of a “protected site” because it is part of a permanent conservation easement with the SJRWMD. Established as a pilot project for future recipient sites in the state, it is just a small part of the 16,610 acres of the Lochloosa Conservation Easement owned and managed by Plum Creek.   Plum Creek and the water management district are working to expand the gopher tortoise recipient site to potentially include all 16,610 acres, which would allow for approximately 17,000 gopher tortoises to be relocated.

“Plum Creek is committed to the responsible management of all of our lands, and we are thrilled to be able to partner with the SJRWMD and the FWC to help ensure the long-term survival of the gopher tortoise,” said Rob Hicks, senior resource forester for Plum Creek.  “Habitat and Conservation agreements allow us to provide for the long-term management and protection of a wide variety of wildlife habitats throughout the country.  It’s exciting to welcome our first gopher tortoises and see them settling in to a habitat that will be permanently managed for their protection.”

Gopher tortoises are moderate-sized land turtles that live in underground burrows. Adults average 9-11 inches long; however, they may grow to as large as 15 inches.  Gopher tortoises prefer high, dry, sandy places in Florida, such as longleaf pine sandhills, scrub, pine flatwoods, dry prairies and coastal dunes.

 The 15 tortoises relocated this week came from the Waste Pro landfill site in Alachua County.  Water & Air Research, Gainesville-based environmental consultants, handled the relocation.  The management plan includes stringent guidelines that establish when, where and how tortoises can be moved, and weather is a key factor. The temperature can not be below 50 degrees for three days prior to capture and relocation.

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Plum Creek is the largest and most geographically diverse private landowner in the nation with approximately 7 million acres of timberlands in the United States.  Nearly 2.7 million of those acres are involved in conservation and wildlife protection agreements.  In Florida, Plum Creek practices sustainable forestry on approximately 600,000 acres of forestland in 22 counties and has approximately 92,000 acres under existing conservation casements.  All Plum Creek lands in Florida are SFI® certified. For more information about Plum Creek in Florida go to www.plumcreek.com/florida.