The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has denied a request by the Center For Biological Diversity to list the Gopher Tortoise as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The species is protected under Florida wildlife regulations, which no longer allow them to be buried alive on development sites, but instead require relocation, though suitable relocation sites are becoming more difficult to locate because of the loss of unoccupied suitable habitat in Florida.
In the 113-page response to the petition, federal wildlife officials acknowledged there are issues with habitat loss, primarily as a result of increased residential development in prime Gopher Tortoise habitat, but concluded at this time there is no justification for listing because the evidence that the species is in danger of extinction does not exist in the foreseeable future.
However, the analysis also noted that the term “foreseeable future” is not defined in current federal regulations.
In addition to habitat loss, the list petition consider the effects of climate change and sea level rise and mortality as a result of predation, roadkill and other factors.