Agenda 06/23/2009 Item #16E 9
Agenda Item No. 16E9
June 23, 2009
Page 1 of 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recommendation to authorize the County Manager, or his designee, to apply to
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the opportunity to
certify a portion of the Conservation Collier Starnes property as a gopher tortoise
recipient site.
OBJECTIVE: To have the Board of County Commissioners authorize the County Manager or his
designee to apply to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for the
opportunity to certify a portion of the Conservation Collier Starnes property as a gopher tortoise
recipient site.
CONSIDERATION: Gopher tortoise recipient sites are privately or publicly owned lands onto
which tortoises that are displaced by development can be relocated under a new state permitting
system that came into effect in April 2009. 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. Landowners who have their properties certified as recipient
sites can 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,
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FWC staff and gopher tortoise stakeholders agree that few conservation benefits to the species
are realized by Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD) testing associated with tortoise
relocation. Under the new permitting system, recipient site owners are allowed to decide for
themselves whether URTD testing will be required for relocated tortoises,
The Starnes Property, which is owned by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners,
does, or can, meet all of the requirements to receive FWC certification as a long-term protected
recipient site. The property will be managed for conservation, protection, and enhancement of
natural resources and for passive and compatible public outdoor recreation, management
activities (Le. mowing, burning, and exotic vegetation removal) to improve the site fidelity for the
gopher tortoise will occur, and the FWC can be granted a conservation easement over the
Starnes property. Additionally, the creation of a gopher tortoise recipient site within the Starnes
property is compatible with the creation of a Panther Habitat Unit Conservation Bank within the
same property.
The Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee recommended unanimously at
their April 13, 2009 meeting to pursue any applicable permits necessary to establish a gopher
tortoise recipient site certification for the Starnes property.
Should the Starnes property be accepted by FWC as a certified gopher tortoise recipient site, any
documents required for certification will be brought back to the Board for the Chairman's
signature.
FISCAL IMPACT: Expenses in the amount of $15,900 will be paid from the Conservation Collier
Land Management Fund (174) for site work and preparation of permitting materials that are
required for an FWC gopher tortoise recipient site permit application, Should the Starnes property
become a certified recipient site, this cost as well as all costs for management and monitoring of
the recipient site will be reimbursed to Conservation Collier through tortoise re-Iocation fees
charged to the donor site owners.
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Agenda Item No. 16E9
June 23, 2009
Page 2 of 4
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: This proposal supports Objective 1.1, which requires the
County to continue to develop and implement a comprehensive environmental management and
conservation program, which will ensure that the natural resources, including State and Federally
listed animal species, of Collier County are properly, appropriately, and effectively identified,
managed, and protected.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This Executive Summary has been reviewed for legal sufficiency
and is legally sufficient for Board action. This item is not quasi judicial, and as such ex parte
disclosure is not required. This item requires majority vote only. - JBW
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of County Commissioners authorizes the County
Manager, or his designee, to apply to FWC for the opportunity to certify a portion of the
Conservation Collier Starnes property as a gopher tortoise recipient site and authorizes the
Chairman to execute a letter to FWC attesting that the property is owned by the Board and that
URTD testing will not be required on tortoises relocated to the site.
PREPARED BY: Melissa Hennig, Principal Environmental Specialist, Department of Facilities
Management
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Page 1 of 1
Agenda Item No. 16E9
June 23, 2009
Page 3 of 4
COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Item Number:
Item Summary:
16E9
Recommendation to authorize the County Manager, or his designee, to allow the
Conservation Collier Starnes property to become a certified Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission gopher tortoise recipient site.
Meeting Date:
6/23/200990000 AM
Prepared By
Melissa Hennig
Administrative Services
Environmental Specialist
Facilities Management
Date
6/4/20095:13:19 PM
Approved By
Skip Camp, C.F.M.
Administrative Services
Facilities Management Director
Facilities Management
Date
6/8/2009 2:22 PM
Approved By
Len Golden Price
Administrative Services Administrator
Date
Administrative Services
Administrative Services Admin.
6/9/2009 5:20 PM
Approved By
OMS Coordinator
County Manager's Office
OMB Coordinator
Office of Management & Budget
Date
6/10/20091 :32 PM
Approved By
Laura Davisson
County Manager's Office
Management & Budget Analyst
Office of Management & Budget
Date
6/11/200911:51 AM
Approved By
Jennifer A. Belpedio
County Attorney
Assistant County Attorney
County Attorney Office
Date
6/12/20098:35 AM
Approved By
Jeff Klatzkow
County Attorney
County Attorney
County Attorney Office
Date
6/12/2009 11 :32 AM
Approved By
Leo E. Ochs, Jr.
Board of County
Commissioners
Deputy County Manager
Date
County Manager's Office
6/12/20099:58 PM
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Agenda Item No. 16E9
June 23, 2009
Page 4 of 4
June 23, 2009
Mr. Richard McCann
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600
Re: Collier County Starnes Property Recipient Site Permit
Gopher Tortoise Recipient Site and URTD Testing
Dear Mr. McCann:
At its June 23,2009 meeting (Agenda Item 16E) the Collier County Board of County Commissioners
authorized the Starnes Property, which is owned by the Collier County Board of County
Commissioners, to become a certified Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission gopher
tortoise recipient site, The property will be managed for conservation, protection, and enhancement of
natural resources and for passive and compatible public outdoor recreation. Management activities
(i.e. mowing, burning, and exotic vegetation removal) to improve the site fidelity for the gopher
tortoise will occur. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be granted a
conservation easement over the Starnes property. Upper respiratory tract disease testing will not be
required in accepting offsite tortoises to this site.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the recipient site, please feel free to call Melissa
Hennig at 239-252-2957 or Chris Stephens (Ecologist) with Johnson Engineering, Inc. at 239-
461-2414.
Sincerely,
Donna Fiala, Chairman
Collier COW1ty Board of COW1ty Commissioners
Enclosures
Cc: Heather Rigney (FWC)
Chris Stephens (lEI)
Melissa Hennig (Collier COW1ty)