Fort Pierce, Fla. - At first, the solution would appear simple.
Dig up a dozen or so gopher tortoises, take them across the street and give the critters a new sandy home.
But Mary Beth Birsky, director of Indian Hills Golf and Country Club, knows there's much more to be done.
Before a $2.6 million renovation can get in full swing, 12 to 14 tortoises must be moved from an undeveloped, 11-acre parcel in the southeast corner of the city-owned course.
Although construction began in May, aerial photographs taken recently show that the only area workers haven't touched is the protected tortoises' habitat.
"That's the area that needs the most work and most time," Birsky said. "We are trying to do this judiciously and do the right thing. ... We are on a tight time frame. Any snag could potentially put the opening back."
The 66-year-old course will undergo a major overhaul: an updated irrigation system, a 300-yard driving range and new hole layout. "We are still shooting to be open in late November," Birsky said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Con-servation Commission classifies gopher tortoises as a "species of special concern" - meaning they cannot be killed, possessed, transported or sold without a permit.
Birsky has ordered surveys, hired consultants and expects to spend about $10,000 to move the reptiles safely to a 9.6-acre parcel near the city's Public Works compound along the west side of a triangular-shaped lake.
Large tortoise populations being displaced require "standard" permits, which must be applied for in Tallahassee. Fewer than a dozen were issued in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties last year, records state.
Indian Hills has applied for such a permit and expects to relocate the tortoises in early July.
Birsky said she wouldn't apply for a "take permit," which could allow the tortoises to be killed provided reparations are made, such as purchasing acreage in tortoise mitigation parks.
In addition, Birsky said permitting issues with the South Florida Water Management District have slowed work.
Despite tortoise trouble and permitting problems, Birsky said delays should soon be over. "We are on a really good track now," she said.
Source: Fort Pierce Tribune (Fort Pierce, Fla.)
