FWC Gopher Tortoise Permitting Guidelines Updates 2023

• An Executive Summary section has been added to clarify roles and responsibilities of permittees, agents and agents’ assistants.
• Named Agent is now clarified on permits and in the Gopher Tortoise Permitting Guidelines for roles and responsibilities.
• Disturbed Site Mitigation has been increased for non-single-family property owners.
• Short-term and long-term recipient sites now have a tiered system to encourage additional protections on recipient sites and lower the costs of permit mitigation.
• It was clarified that 25% of agents’ experience requirements must be from actions conducted within the past four years from the date of Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent Permit application submittal.
• Short-term Protected Recipient Sites’ enforceable protection was defined.
• FWC recipient site conservation easements require a title commitment instead of a title search.
• The Temporary Exclusion Permit has expanded to include other forms of temporary linear projects.
• Changes were made to the Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent Permit application, such as separating the mark and release duties.
• No-cost e-Learning requirements for training on transport, holding, handling and release of gopher tortoises for new authorized agent applications and renewal amendments were added.
• Hatchlings shall no longer be marked. Meaning no tortoises under 61 mm are authorized for marking in any method.
• Temporary exclusion recipient areas must have a 100% survey if the recipient area is less than 1 acre in size.