Wildlife Permit Review
Development or site alteration on Sanibel must minimize any interference with the natural use of the land for feeding, foraging, resting, nesting, and breeding by indigenous and migratory birds, shellfish, marine fishes, sea turtles, and other wildlife.
In general, permits for activities impacting Florida’s protected animal species are issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) .
Gopher Tortoises
All gopher tortoises and gopher tortoise burrows are protected on Sanibel. The State of Florida recognizes five options to address the presence of tortoises on lands slated for development: avoid development, avoid destruction of tortoise burrows, mitigate by preserving additional habitat, and relocate tortoises on-site or relocate them off-site. Relocation requires a permit from the Commission.
Ospreys and Other Migratory Bird Species
These permits stipulate that an inactive (i.e. containing no eggs or flightless young) nest may be removed; however, a replacement nesting platform/structure of comparable or better quality than the compromised nest support structure must be erected.