Relocating gopher tortoises will be costly project for Apopka

APOPKA, Fla. — Gopher tortoises have been making an Apopka recreation field their home for years. But now it could cost about $90,000 to move them.

The Northwest Recreation Complex on Jason Dwelley Parkway is home to an amphitheater, several sports fields and dozens of gopher tortoises and the holes they use for homes.
 
"I was really surprised to know that they were here," resident Marlene Rodriguez said.

Slideshow: Gopher tortoise field

There are about 75 gopher tortoises on the property. Rodriguez was surprised to learn what it might cost to move them.
 
"Wow, yeah, that's a big number. That is a very big number for them to actually move them," she said.
 
City officials said the burrows are on approximately 80 acres, which they are going to use to build retention ponds for a large reclaimed water project.
 
In Florida, the gopher tortoise is a threatened species, so the reptile and its borrow are protected under state law.
 
"I would rather have them go somewhere else to live, instead of going everywhere, so they won't die or nothing like that," resident Cesar Garcia said.
 
The plan is to move the tortoises to a conservation area in Osceola County.
 
"I love this park, but it's kind of was their first," Rodriguez said.
 
The process of moving the tortoises is expected to start in the next couple of weeks and should take about two weeks.
 
The project costs include paying for a consultant to study the site, a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the actual moving of the tortoises.
 
The final cost will depend on the number of tortoises moved.

WFTV