SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – The Georgia Gopher Tortoise Initiative has successfully secured the long-term protection of 65 healthy tortoise populations, as stated in a press release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.
The Gopher Tortoise holds the title of Georgia’s official state reptile.
Number 65 is an easement designed to protect more than 250 tortoises and their pineland environments across 1,210 acres located just south of Cordele, GA.
The objective is to ensure the survival of the gentle, dome-shaped turtles that create extensive tunnels in the sandy areas of southern Georgia for upcoming generations, according to the statement.
Achieving this status reflects the initiative’s efforts to ensure tortoises remain off the federal Endangered Species Act list, as stated by DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon.
We are very proud of the achievements of these conservation initiatives. Preventing federal designation not only aids in protecting wildlife, but also avoids possible economic consequences for our state,” Rabon stated. “This cooperative method has demonstrated significant potential as a blueprint for effective wildlife conservation in the future.
The effort has expanded to include almost 30 agencies, environmental groups, businesses, foundations, and individual landowners since its establishment in 2015.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is part of the organization, stated in its 2022 decision that it would not classify tortoises in the eastern portion of their habitat, noting that collaborations contributed to the conservation of the species, including identifying populations that had previously gone unnoticed.
As per the news announcement, for Austin McKinney from Newnan, entering into an easement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service last month that benefits tortoises on his property was logical.
The expansive area along the Turner/Crisp County border has been part of the family for over a century, according to the statement.
The forests are abundant with undergrowth, longleaf pine trees, and exposed areas of a special sandstone known as Altamaha grit. Bird dog field trials take place there each year.
We have always placed importance on uplands, quail, and wildlife,” McKinney stated. “… We approach this with seriousness, and we are excited about the opportunity to keep enhancing the [habitats].
Gopher tortoises inhabit the Coastal Plain region, stretching from South Carolina to Louisiana.
The turtle-like creatures, the sole land tortoise found in the eastern United States, play a crucial role as a keystone species since their underground homes are utilized by over 300 different species.
Some of these creatures are uncommon, such as the endangered eastern indigo snake.
The DNR states that habitat loss poses a risk of adding all gopher tortoises to the Endangered Species Act list.
Individuals from Louisiana, Mississippi, and western Alabama were classified as threatened in 1987.
Prior to 2022, tortoises in Georgia and throughout the rest of their habitat had been considered for protection under the listing process for over ten years.
When the initiative was established 10 years ago, only 36 out of the 125 healthy populations identified in Georgia were under protection, according to the statement.
Studies indicated that 65 were required to secure the tortoise’s long-term survival within the state. The threshold for a self-sustaining group of gopher tortoises is 250 adults.
The program focused on 65 populations, while also aiming to protect 100,000 acres of habitat in southern Georgia and revive the longleaf pine ecosystems that are crucial for gopher tortoises.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources states that the population goal has been achieved via comprehensive surveys across the entire range to locate important tortoise areas, extensive collaboration with landowners and non-profit organizations, strategic planning, and strong backing, which includes funding from foundations, federal grants, the U.S. Defense Department, and the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program.
Outcomes involve purchases like Ceylon and Alapaha River wildlife management areas, along with conservation easements on private properties such as the one involving McKinney.
Biologists collaborate with developers to reduce the effects of their projects on tortoises and their burrows.
Every effort ensures that gopher tortoises and other native wildlife and plant species tied to their environment remain present, as stated in the news release.
Eleanor Ratchford from the Knobloch Family Foundation, a participant in the initiative and a financial backer of conservation projects, described the project as “a great example of the achievements possible through collaboration between state, federal, nonprofit, and private donors.”
For Monica Thornton, the executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia and also a member of the initiative, the 65 protected populations “are evidence that when we dream big and collaborate, we can achieve anything.”
The accomplishment also underscores another point: Additional efforts are needed, as stated by Matt Elliott, head of the Wildlife Conservation Section within the DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
Protecting species and their habitats isn’t just about preserving land,” Elliott stated. “Maintaining wildlife such as the gopher tortoise in the environment is a long-term effort that involves ongoing management, including controlled burns and, at times, more involved restoration of damaged areas.
But collaborating with all the individuals who were involved in the initiative has definitely been the pinnacle of my professional life. Looking ahead, we can utilize much of what we’ve gained here to assist other species and groups of wildlife, and even consider connections and conservation corridors.
GOPHER TORTOISE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
Initiated in 2015 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, additional participants are:
- Athens Land Trust
- Bobolink Foundation
- Georgia-Alabama Land Trust
- Georgia Chamber of Commerce
- Georgia Conservancy
- Georgia Department of Transportation
- Georgia Forestry Commission
- Georgia Power
- Georgia Wildlife Federation
- Knobloch Family Foundation
- Open Space Institute
- Pattillo Industrial Real Estate
- R. Howard Dobbs Jr. Foundation
- Robert W. Woodruff Foundation
- Southern Power
- Tall Timbers
- The Conservation Fund
- The Jones Center at Ichauway
- The Nature Conservancy
- The Orianne Society
- Turner Foundation
- U.S. Foundation for Forestry and Communities
- U.S. Forest Service (Forest Legacy Initiative)
- WildArk
LOOKING AT GOPHER TORTOISES AT A GLANCE
The gopher tortoise is considered a threatened species in Louisiana, Mississippi, and western Alabama.
Throughout the remainder of its habitat, the tortoise is safeguarded by state legislation.
From an ecological perspective, the gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species. These turtles create extensive, deep burrows that serve as shelter for over 300 various animal species.
First, the eastern indigo snake, which is classified as threatened at the federal level, relies on gopher tortoise burrows as a shelter during the winter months.
Both the gopher tortoise and the eastern indigo are considered key species in Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan.
