February 8, 2013
CREWS FINISH RELOCATING GOPHER TORTOISES
IN PREPARATION FOR BUILDING WEKIVA PARKWAY
APOPKA, FL - Crews have relocated 107 gopher tortoises from the first section of the Wekiva Parkway scheduled to begin construction on February 18.
Crews on Thursday, Feb. 8 finished the reptile relocations on the Wekiva Parkway Sections 4A & 4B. Those sections will extend 3.14 miles from County Road (CR) 435/Mt. Plymouth Road in Orange County, across the Orange County-Lake County Line, to SR 46 west of Old McDonald Road. Work continues to put up signs for the crews to be alert for other area wildlife, and to make sure fence is secure so no more get into the work zone.
Construction, beginning with clearing and grubbing, is starting on this stretch since right-of-way acquisition and permitting are completed.
Beginning December 12 (including breaks for the holidays and low temperatures) crews excavated 285 gopher tortoise burrows. Not all of the burrows were active.
Gopher tortoises dig deep burrows for shelter in upland habitat throughout Florida. They share the burrows with more than 350 other species, and are therefore considered a keystone species. Both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law.
The gopher tortoises, a threatened species in Florida, are being relocated per state permit to the 643-acre Russakis Ranch, an approved recipient site in Okeechobee County in South Florida. Temperatures at recipient site had to be forecast to be above 50 degrees for three (3) days in a row before they could receive the tortoises.
