Recipient sites are privately or publicly owned lands onto which tortoises that are displaced by development will be relocated under a new permitting system created under the management plan. The objective of the recipient site program is to provide the highest level of long-term security for the gopher tortoise and its habitat on permitted recipient sites. Permitted recipient sites help to prevent the loss of tortoises on development sites, help retain the local or regional tortoise resource, and can contribute to habitat preservation if sites receive long-term protection.
Private landowners can play a key role in helping conserve and restore gopher tortoise habitat and several elements of the plan are of direct interest to private landowners. One exciting element is the opportunity for landowners to have their land certified as a gopher tortoise recipient site. Landowners that have their properties certified as recipient sites may receive financial compensation from the donor site owner (such as a developer). This financial compensation can offset any upfront costs associated with becoming a certified recipient site.
Contact Gopher Tortoise Recipient Site
Contact Gopher Tortoise Recipient Site
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
620 S. Meridian St.
Farris Bryant Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 488-4676
Service Area
