Species Conservation Planning
Section staff issues permits authorizing impacts to
Florida's protected land-dwelling wildlife. Applications may
be submitted through our new Online
Permitting System for the following permits:
Or in paper form for the following permits:
Issuance of these permits is intended to authorize
and facilitate land management, scientific collection, and
educational activities under conditions that provide safeguards and
conservation benefits to protected species.
Permits may be issued with the condition that an
approved management plan be implemented demonstrating that
permitted activities will result in a conservation benefit for the
species. Most scientific and educational use permits require
approved research proposals or educational outreach plans.
Other permits may require adherence to FWC guidelines or species
management plans.
Guidelines are available for Florida burrowing owls
and ospreys found in urban areas or nesting on unsuitable man-made
structures. Management plans are available for
the bald eagle, flatwoods salamander, peregrine falcon,
red-cockaded woodpecker, and Miami blue butterfly.
Contact the Species Conservation Planning staff
for protected wildlife permitting issues or technical
assistance.
Protected fish and wildlife include those species
listed as endangered,
threatened or species of special concern. Also included
are
migratory birds and other species protected by FWC rules.
FWC rules prohibit activities that may have a
negative effect on protected fish and wildlife without a
permit. This page connects you to information about the
various permits associated with protected fish and wildlife and how
to apply for them.
Migratory Bird Nest Take
Osprey
Florida ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) commonly nest on
power poles, communication towers, water navigation devices,
lighting fixtures, outdoor billboards and other man-made structures
as well as in decaying or dead trees. These large nests
sometimes render the structure inoperable or present a safety
hazard. Permits typically authorize the removal of inactive
nest (i.e. nests containing no eggs or flightless young) and
usually require the permittee to build a replacement nesting
platform/structure of comparable or better quality than the
compromised nest support. Requests for removal of active
nests (i.e. containing eggs and/or flightless chicks) are issued if
the nest presents a safety hazard for the birds or humans.
Active nest removal permits are issued with less frequency on a
case-by-case basis. The FWC Osprey
Nest Removal Policies 
address additional nest removal requirements.
Florida Burrowing
Owls
The Florida burrowing owl is listed by the FWC as a
species of special concern. It inhabits open prairies and
cleared areas such as pastures, agricultural fields, golf courses,
airports, and vacant lots in residential and commercial
areas. Burrowing owls tend to nest on vacant lots in rapidly
developing urban areas because they are attracted to the disturbed
soil conditions associated with early construction
activities. Hence, residential and commercial construction
subsequently can be a major cause of burrow destruction, in these
areas. The Commission's policy is to issue permits to allow
destruction of inactive (i.e. contains no eggs or flightless
chicks) burrowing owl nest burrows only as a last resort and after
all reasonable alternatives (such as realigning the development to
avoid the nest) have been considered and determined
impractical. Please review Burrowing and Owl
Nest Protection Guidelines and Procedures in Urban Areas for nest removal requirements.
Protection criteria for non-urban situations or
situations where numerous burrows will be impacted will be
addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Migratory Birds (Nongame)
Other nonlisted nongame migratory bird species (particularly raptors)
occasionally nest on the same man-made structures referenced above,
causing the same conflicts as ospreys. Additionally, some
migratory birds engage in attacking behaviors which present a
safety hazard to humans. Nest removal permits are
occasionally issued to address these situations.
Bald
Eagles
SCP Staff issue bald eagle disturbance, nest
removal, and scientific collecting permits. The FWC Bald Eagle website links to the state
and federal bald eagle management plans, the statewide nest
database, technical assistance for projects, regional biologist
contact information, and much more.
Non
Resident Falconry
Non-resident Raptor Take permits are issued to
licensed out-of-state falconers wishing to hunt for raptors in
Florida. Falconers must possess a valid falconry license from
both their home state wildlife agency and the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Non-resident falconers must also
abide by the state falconry Rule 68A-9.005(9)(e) Florida
Administrative Code (F.A.C.)
Florida residents seeking to become a licensed
falconer should visit the FWC Division of Law Enforcement Captive
Wildlife webpage for additional information on applying for the
Florida falconry license.
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Control of Nuisance and
Depredating Wildlife
Avitrol®
for Nuisance Bird Control
Avitrol permits are no longer required.
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service (DOACS)
licensed pest control operators no longer need a FWC permit to use
Avitrol® to control nonlisted
nonnative birds, primarily pigeons, which aggregate in such a
manner as to become a nuisance and/or pose health risks to human
populations, per Rule 68A-9.010(2) F.A.C.
A FWC permit is required for take of any state
listed species. The USFWS should be contacted to determine if
federal permits are required for use on any bird species protected
by the federal Migratory
Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Additional information is
available in the following Avitrol Use document.
Migratory
Bird and other Wildlife Control
Most problems involving migratory birds and other wildlife species
occur in the spring. Information on control of non state
listed birds and other wildlife species that create a public
nuisance or cause property or other damage is available at the FWC
wildlife assistance
link. If the species is state listed, contact your
Regional Species Conservation Biologist or the Protected Species Permit
Office for technical assistance.
Scientific Collecting and
Educational Possession
Scientific collecting (i.e. voucher, salvage, bird
banding or translocation, biological sampling, gopher tortoise URTD
testing, and other research activities) and listed species
educational/other possession (including waif gopher tortoises)
permits are issued for activities which result in take or
possession of wildlife, their eggs or parts thereof for scientific,
educational, exhibition, propagation, management or other
justifiable purposes (68A-9.002, F.A.C.). Applications must demonstrate
scientific/educational/conservation benefits (68A-16.002, 68A-25
and 68A-27, F.A.C.) that will be accrued for the subject
species as well as identify the purpose, scope, objective,
methodology, location and duration of the project.
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Incidental Take
Permits
Incidental take permits are issued for activities
that may result in "take" of state listed species. These
species also may be federally listed. Applications are
contingent upon a habitat conservation plan (HCP) which defines the
full impact on the species, describes methods proposed to minimize
take, and outlines mitigation which may be rendered to offset the
take. Additional information on HCPs and incidental take
permits is available on the USFWS Ecological Services site and in the online FWC
Florida Wildlife
Conservation Guide.
How to Apply for a Permit
Please visit the FWC
online permitting site to apply for a migratory bird nest
removal permit (including bald eagles), a listed/protected species
scientific collecting or educational possession permit (including
bald eagles), or a non Florida resident falconry permit. The
scientific collecting application is used for both scientific
collecting activities and listed or protected wildlife species live
possession activities.
The following checklists should assist you in gathering the
information required to apply for an online: migratory bird nest removal , scientific
collecting (includes educational
possession) or non Florida Resident Falconry permit . Applications submitted in the
Online Permitting Site may be accessed at any time to check the
status of any submitted application. This feature is
available to any public user of the site.
Paper-based scientific collecting, migratory bird nest removal,
and non Florida resident falconry applications are also available
upon request. However, online application submission is
preferred for a more timely review process. Please contact
the SCP Protected
Species Permit Office to request a paper application.
The eagle disturbance application and incidental take application checklist are currently available only in paper
form. The submittal information is available on each form.
All other requests for special purpose land dwelling
listed/protected species permits not specified on this website
should be prepared and submitted to the SCP
Protected Species Permit Office.
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Timely response
The Florida Statutes require state agencies to
approve or deny complete applications within 90 days of
receipt. Therefore, we ask you to submit a complete
application and include all relevant information as attachments
(e.g. scientific project proposals, educational plans and
brochures, site plans, photographs, etc.). Complete permit
applications, renewals, and amendment requests should be submitted
a minimum of 45 days prior to the requested effective date.
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Gopher
Tortoises
Gopher tortoises are protected by state law,
Chapter 68A - 27, F.A.C. If you have gopher tortoises on your
property, you need to get a FWC relocation permit before disturbing
the burrows. A disturbance includes any type of work within
25 feet of a gopher tortoise burrow. Most typical activities
associated with residential lawn and landscape maintenance do not
require a permit, provided they do not collapse gopher tortoise
burrows or harm gopher tortoises.
There are four available options to address the
presence of gopher tortoises on lands slated for development:
- Avoid development;
- Avoid destruction of tortoise burrows;
- Relocate tortoises on-site (permit required); or
- Relocate them off-site (permit required).
Effective April 22, 2009, the Division of Habitat
and Species Conservation's, Species Conservation Planning Section
(SCPS) issues three types of gopher tortoise relocation
permits.
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