Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeastern US

1. Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeastern US (1 Oct 10 – 31 May 11) Gopher Tortoise CCA 3rd Annual Work Team Meeting 13-14 Jun 2011 Charlie Elliott Conference Center (Mansfield, GA) Dave Glass USAF Regional Environmental Office Eastern Region (404) 562-4201

2. USAF Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeast • Air Force Impact • Seven Southeastern USAF installations with Gopher Tortoise habitat: • Avon Park Air Force Range, FL • Eglin AFB, FL • MacDill AFB, FL • Cape Canaveral & Patrick AFB, FL • Tyndall AFB, FL • Moody AFB, GA

3. USAF Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeast • Avon Park Air Force Range, FL • During the current fiscal year Avon Park has conducted prescribed burns on 26,638 acres, approximately half of which is gopher tortoise habitat. • Avon Park is in its third year of gopher tortoise survey. Current best population estimate is 1,414 tortoise in scrub habitat and 2,759 in flatwoods / pine plantations. • Avon Park is currently tracking 66 tortoises with radio telemetry to obtain data on gopher tortoise home range, habitat use, fecundity, and behavior.

4. USAF Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeast • Eglin AFB, FL • Since 1 Oct 10 Eglin has: • applied prescribed fire to 81,599 acres of gopher tortoise habitat.. • conducted mechanical timber stand improvement operations on 7,888 acres. • applied herbicide to 1,834 acres. • converted 417 acres of off-site pine plantation back to longleaf pine. • All of these activities to restore the sandhills ecosystem will benefit the gopher tortoise and all other species native to the sandhills. • In addition, Eglin relocated 49 tortoises from test and training ranges to a soft release pen in pristine habitat within a protected area of the reservation. The soft release pen was opened in April and many burrows were found at the newly established site. Population monitoring was conducted at three other locations with known populations to determine age structure and long term trends. • applied prescribed fire to 81,599 acres of gopher tortoise habitat. • conducted mechanical timber stand improvement operations on 7,888 acres. • applied herbicide to 1,834 acres • converted 417 acres of off-site pine plantation back to longleaf pine. • All of these • activities to restore the sandhills ecosystem will benefit the gopher tortoise • and all other species native to the sandhills. In addition, Eglin relocated • 49 tortoises from test and training ranges to a soft release pen in pristine • habitat within a protected area of the reservation. The soft release pen was • opened in April and many burrows were found at the newly established site. • Population monitoring was conducted at three other locations with known • populations to determine age structure and long term trends.

5. USAF Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeast • MacDill AFB, FL • During the current fiscal year treated exotic invasive species such as Brazilian pepper, Lead Tree, and cogan grass which have degraded the open fields and understory habitat throughout MacDill AFB. • More than 1,500 acres of forested uplands and open fields were treated in 2011 to control exotic invasive species which degrade gopher tortoise habitat. • Conducted prescribed burning on approximately 25 acres of wooded uplands to improve habitat for gopher tortoise. • MacDill AFB will be conducting a Protected Species survey starting in Aug 2011 to assess the current population for gopher tortoise and other T&E species on base, and determine a population trends for each species.

6. USAF Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeast • Cape Canaveral – Patrick AFB, FL • The 45th Space Wing has mechanically restored 414 acres of gopher tortoise habitat. • In addition, 217 acres of invasive vegetation located within gopher tortoise habitat has been treated with herbicide. • There have been no prescribed burns conducted during the time period due to launch related/weather restrictions. • Four tortoise surveys have been completed in support of various construction projects. As a result, 12 inactive and six active burrows were located. Several of these were able to be closed upon scoping with a burrow camera and discovering there were no tortoises utilizing them. Only two tortoises required relocation; natural resource personnel were able to work with construction personnel to avoid impacts to the remaining burrows. • Personnel set up a natural resources display at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, which included a panel on the gopher tortoise program at CCAFS • . In addition, personnel gave two tours of CCAFS, which also included a discussion on the gopher tortoise program at CCAFS.

7. USAF Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeast • Tyndall AFB, FL • Tyndall received the final report with maps of potential GT habitat on the installation. • Field surveys of these higher potential habitats will be accomplished in FY11/12. • Prescribed burns were conducted on 7,000 acres of Tyndall forest lands.

8. USAF Conservation / Protection of Gopher Tortoise Populations in the Southeast • Moody AFB, GA • During the current fiscal year, Moody AFB burned 110 acres in the dormant season in gopher tortoise habitat. • Pedestrian surveys of suitable gopher tortoise habitat were conducted to identify new gopher tortoise burrows. All known burrows were marked in the field with semi‐permanent markers, measured to determine occupant size class, and GPS’d for incorporation into the installation Geographic Information System (GIS) database. The activity of each burrow was collected to determine tortoise population estimates for the base. • As of 30 Sept 2010, there were 319 marked gopher tortoise burrows in seven colonies on the installation: Colony 71st (87 burrows), Colony CP (39 burrows), Colony AR (8 burrows), Colony BR (18 burrows), Colony BF (13 burrows), and Colony CS (154 burrows). • Gopher tortoise monitoring on Moody AFB and Grand Bay Range is currently being conducted. Gopher tortoises are captured and marked with subcutaneous and external radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and movements are monitored via a set of 18 continuous RFID readers placed on selected burrows in the largest gopher tortoise colonies. • Additionally, 2 gopher tortoises are currently fitted with radio transmitters and tortoise locations are obtained 2‐3 times weekly. Data from these movement studies is used to determine home range, foraging habitat, and behavioral changes due to military training and other installation activities. • Surveillance for Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD) is continuing through a cooperative partnership with Valdosta State University.

9. Any Questions ??? Gopher Tortoise CCA 3rd Annual Work Team Meeting 13-14 Jun 2011 Charlie Elliott Conference Center (Mansfield, GA) Dave Glass USAF Regional Environmental Office Eastern Region (404) 562-4201