How to Help

So what can the average person do to help gopher tortoises, and by extension, all the other species that use their burrows?

Altabet explains that the FWC has a “friendly yard program”, which would allow someone with a gopher tortoise burrowing on their property to apply for recognition. This would earn them a certificate and a sign saying they have a “Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yard” and save a tortoise the stress of being relocated if the landowner instead wanted to have it moved from their property.

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So there are plenty of ways to help gopher tortoises, but what about all the animals that use their burrows? The FWC is still in the process of creating guidelines on how to deal with commensal species and when they should be relocated versus when they should be released back to their original habitat. The best way to help these animals is to contact the FWC and encourage them to revisit their guidelines about relocating commensals and do more research on how these species would be impacted afterward.

The ultimate goal should be to protect as much land as possible while working to maintain the ecosystem that the gopher tortoise carries. Advocating for more protections and encouraging less relocation unless absolutely necessary is a great way to not only protect gopher tortoises, but all the species that use their burrows too.

There are more ways to help if there are no tortoises in your backyard either. One way is to advocate for federal protections for them. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections to gopher tortoises in the eastern range of its habitat, Bennett says.

If the gopher tortoise was included under this act, they would be given more habitat protection, which would keep areas that are most important for the species' survival from being destroyed by construction. This would help tremendously, especially considering one of the main threats gopher tortoises are facing is a lack of recipient sites. Because of this, Bennett urges people who want to do something to help these animals to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and encourage them to reconsider their decision

Another easy way to help is to volunteer at your local natural scrub area or wildlife preserve. Often, the workers there could use more people to help with burrow surveys, clearing debris so vegetation can grow, and perimeter checks to make sure no tortoises are getting past the fence.

The focus should be on getting the gopher tortoises habitat protected, and keeping relocation as a second option if it is needed, but there is a way to help relocation efforts while habitat protection is still being worked towards if you have the resources.

While most people don’t have access to 25 acres of land, if you do, you can apply to the FWC for a permit to make your own private land a recipient site. This can be a lengthy process. The land must be at least 25 continuous acres and have the right soil and vegetation, and there is a required pre-application evaluation of the land, says Altabet. There are also multiple different permits for different purposes, and the FWC offers a helpful guide to which one could be right for you. It is a big commitment, says Bennett, but it offers the opportunity to protect gopher tortoises and make some money while doing so since permit holders set their own price for accepting tortoises.