JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A gopher tortoise was relocated from Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island to a conservation area at Eglin Air Force Base following a May 2 survey along the St. Johns River, demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship alongside operational needs in Florida.
The survey at the Marine Corps facility and the relocation to the Air Force base were conducted under a permit obtained last November from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). An initial 2024 survey identified seven potential burrows near a slipway and maintenance area.
Col. Luke Watson, commanding officer of Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, requested the permit to enable timely maintenance, construction and modernization efforts necessary to the facility’s logistics mission, including prepositioning equipment and supplies.
His permit application emphasized a commitment to the safe relocation of gopher tortoises, whose burrows are also protected under state law.
Taylor Comstock, environmental protection specialist, explained that maintaining a tortoise-free area enhances adaptability at the Marine Corps facility, which stocks cargo ships with access to the Atlantic.
“Given the nature of our mission, this adaptability is vital,” said Comstock, who coordinated the May 2 survey. “It is also important to keep gopher tortoises safe from the constant movement and organization of military equipment.”
Dave Yow, a wildlife biologist authorized by the FWC for gopher tortoise relocation and supported by environmental scientist Betsy Stewart, relocated the tortoise to Eglin Air Force Base in northwest Florida. The base currently houses more than 10,000 tortoises with plans for up to 20,000, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The survey team found one occupied burrow during the Blount Island survey. It was located near an area containing interchangeable Navy lighterage modules, which help transfer cargo from ships where port facilities are unavailable or inadequate. The other burrows were abandoned or created by different animals.
Eglin Air Force Base accepts state-threatened gopher tortoises displaced by development projects under an agreement with the FWC, supporting the recovery of the federally threatened eastern indigo snake, which often seeks refuge in tortoise burrows.
Gopher tortoises, roughly a foot long and native to the southeastern United States, are a keystone species, with their burrows providing habitat for over 350 other species. Florida law requires a permit for relocation before any land clearing or development.
Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island has maintained a gopher tortoise relocation program since 2011 as part of its Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, balancing environmental stewardship with mission readiness and enabling construction in undeveloped areas.