MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County's newly opened "Gopher Tortoise Resort" got its first VIP guest checking things out ahead of the arrival of future re-homed resident tortoises.
Touted for its quality upland habitat and suitability, parts of the Duette preserve will now become a new home for relocated gopher tortoises. Last week, county officials announced the first phase of the Duette Preserve Long-Term Recipient Site as part of its efforts toward a sustainable population of gopher tortoises.
The project is in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the County's Natural Resources Department.
On Wednesday, Genbu, a rescued gopher tortoise that now works with Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department as part of its educational outreach program, was brought on-site as part of the facility's media awareness.
More than 800 gopher tortoises like Genbu are expected to be brought in and re-homed at the preserve.
"We have done a couple of surveys and noticed that our population density was very low," Kathleen Barrett, the program manager for Gopher Tortoise Recipient Sites said.
The species is under threat due to frequently growing development re-zoning and other construction activities throughout the area. Working with ecologists, the state and county came up with the plan for the 'Gopher Tortoise Resort' to get them out of harm's way.
"You have beautiful, deep sandy soil for burrowing and you have vegetation in it but they also have vegetation all through the floodplain," Barrett said.
Of the 22,000 acres here at Duette Preserve, only about 20% is suitable for the tortoises. The property will allow for displaced tortoises within a 50-mile radius to stay as close to their natural habitat as possible and safely away from urban encroachment.
"This is not just for development. These properties will re-home tortoises that come from utility work, such as electric utilities, some of the phosphate mining companies can utilize this relocation development and also our own public works department," Charlie Hunsicker, the natural resources director for Manatee County, said.
Recently, county leaders faced public backlash over stripping away what many in the community as well as environmental action groups considered very important wetlands protections. They are hoping this initiative would show a level of commitment towards wanting to tackle environmental concerns and help create solutions.
"This is part of the watershed for Manatee County, for Lake Manatee, so this is where clean water, drinking water comes from," Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher said.
"We have to preserve what we can for future generations. We care about the environment, and this wonderful world that we all enjoy and live in. We have to take steps to conserve whatever we can," Satcher added.
Relocating the gopher tortoises to the preserve is part of a long-term plan. The site is ready to take reservations for relocation and managers want developers with upcoming projects to start working towards their to fulfill any administrative-related plans and requirements early to avoid any delays.
County officials want to also remind everyone that only people licensed by the FWC can handle gopher tortoises or retrieve their carcasses. Also, only developments with approved permits are allowed to relocate gopher tortoises otherwise it is a crime that comes with hefty fines.