FW:gopher Tortoises don't deserve a death sentence

November 23, 2005

This realy is the shity end of the stick, the sods.

The Valley Vegan..................

"zurumato" <zurumato wrote:

Good ol Walmart Strikes Again.....

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Humane Society of the United States

Anouk Sickler

11/23/2005 2:01:50 PM

Anouk, gopher tortoises don't deserve a death sentence

November 23, 2005

Florida Animal Activists: Tortoises Should be Relocated, Not Killed

Dear Anouk,

Florida's gopher tortoises have once again lost out to developers as another Wal-Mart store, this one in Palm Beach County, is constructed. Wal-Mart has been granted permits by the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife to entomb tortoises in their burrows rather than relocate them to suitable habitat. Because of their slow metabolism, it will take months for the entombed tortoises to die.

Gopher tortoises are designated a “species of special concern” in Florida and have declined by an estimated 80% throughout their range, largely due to habitat destruction. These slow-to-reproduce animals are acknowledged to be a “keystone” species—one that fundamentally supports a healthy ecosystem.

Florida offers developers two options to comply with the current regulations regarding impacts on gopher tortoises. They may obtain a permit to relocate tortoises, or take the cheaper route—as Wal-Mart has done—by obtaining a permit for “incidental take” (i.e. accidental killing) of gopher tortoises as a result of development. Developers can then bury tortoises alive, but must pay into a fund intended to purchase habitat for these animals elsewhere. The trouble is, the few acres set aside so far for tortoises aren’t likely to be sufficient to offset the continued loss of thousands of tortoises per year. The species' slow reproductive cycle means that recovery from such significant population declines will be prolonged, if not impossible.

What You Can DoPlease contact Wal-Mart and ask the company to take responsibility for finding and relocating all the tortoises on site before they develop anywhere in gopher tortoise habitat, rather than dooming the tortoises to a slow death. Ask them to help the survival of gopher tortoises in Florida by, at a minimum, saving tortoises before they build, and preferably building only in areas where tortoises and other rare species do not occur.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.702 S.W. 8th StreetBentonville, AR 72716800-925-6278Send Wal-mart an email

Also contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to ask them to stop the practice of issuing permits to emtomb tortoises. Ask that they instead require that tortoises be found and relocated to suitable and protected habitat.

Send the Commission an email

Thank you for taking action on behalf of tortoises today!

Useful Links» No Place to Hide: Gopher Tortoises Can't Outrun the Bulldozers of Florida's Developers

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November 23, 2005

Good ol Walmart Strikes Again.....

-

Humane Society of the United States

Anouk Sickler

11/23/2005 2:01:50 PM

Anouk, gopher tortoises don't deserve a death sentence

November 23, 2005

Florida Animal Activists: Tortoises Should be Relocated, Not Killed

Dear Anouk,

Florida's gopher tortoises have once again lost out to developers as another Wal-Mart store, this one in Palm Beach County, is constructed. Wal-Mart has been granted permits by the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife to entomb tortoises in their burrows rather than relocate them to suitable habitat. Because of their slow metabolism, it will take months for the entombed tortoises to die.

Gopher tortoises are designated a “species of special concern” in Florida and have declined by an estimated 80% throughout their range, largely due to habitat destruction. These slow-to-reproduce animals are acknowledged to be a “keystone” species—one that fundamentally supports a healthy ecosystem.

Florida offers developers two options to comply with the current regulations regarding impacts on gopher tortoises. They may obtain a permit to relocate tortoises, or take the cheaper route—as Wal-Mart has done—by obtaining a permit for “incidental take” (i.e. accidental killing) of gopher tortoises as a result of development. Developers can then bury tortoises alive, but must pay into a fund intended to purchase habitat for these animals elsewhere. The trouble is, the few acres set aside so far for tortoises aren’t likely to be sufficient to offset the continued loss of thousands of tortoises per year. The species' slow reproductive cycle means that recovery from such significant population declines will be prolonged, if not impossible.

What You Can DoPlease contact Wal-Mart and ask the company to take responsibility for finding and relocating all the tortoises on site before they develop anywhere in gopher tortoise habitat, rather than dooming the tortoises to a slow death. Ask them to help the survival of gopher tortoises in Florida by, at a minimum, saving tortoises before they build, and preferably building only in areas where tortoises and other rare species do not occur.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.702 S.W. 8th StreetBentonville, AR 72716800-925-6278Send Wal-mart an email

Also contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to ask them to stop the practice of issuing permits to emtomb tortoises. Ask that they instead require that tortoises be found and relocated to suitable and protected habitat.

Send the Commission an email

Thank you for taking action on behalf of tortoises today!

Useful Links» No Place to Hide: Gopher Tortoises Can't Outrun the Bulldozers of Florida's Developers

2005 The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). . The Humane Society of the United States | 2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037 humanelines | 202-452-1100 | www.hsus.orgThis message was sent to zurumato. Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop receiving HumaneLines, click to . To stop ALL email from The Humane Society of the United States, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the subject line).