ST CLOUD, Fla. – It’s more than just demolition and paving that goes into the Big Drive. Working with Florida’s diverse ecosystem is a very big part of the project.
I-4 crews have been working closely with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation to protect gopher tortoises. Several areas around I-4 are home to these animals.
Under state laws the gopher tortoise is listed as a threatened species. That means, if one of these boroughs is found, construction must stop immediately.
In order to safely relocate these tortoises, SGL must get a permit from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Then, a qualified and trained agent will come to safely remove and relocate the tortoise.
There are two methods to safely relocate one of these animals, bucket trapping or by excavation. Bucket trapping is a less invasive and quite simple method.
“Excavate a hole directly in front of the borough, place that bucket down in the ground so its flush with the ground its self. Camouflage that bucket to where the tortoise he’ll come up, he won’t know that that’s there and he’ll gently find his way into the bucket,” SGL Environmental Manager Matt Bauman said.
If the bucket method doesn’t work, a crew will be called into excavate. But that can be a much slower process.
Boroughs are usually about 15 feet deep but the record that this crew has found was 47 feet.
“You’ll have to dig down slowly and follow that borough down to where you find the tortoise typically at the very bottom.”
Once the gopher tortoises are removed from these construction areas, they will be taken to their forever home at Florida Forever Conservancy in St. Cloud.