❧ Vacant Land:
-Feasibility Study
-Ecological Assessment
-Required for lots over 0.50 acre
**Already Purchased?
❧ Building Permit Denied?
Protected species permitting / relocation
-Ecological Assessment
-Required for lots over 0.50 acre
❧ Clearing Permit Denied?
I'll help you understand your options
-Ecological Assessment
-Gopher Tortoise Burrow Avoidance
-Wetland Setback / Impact Avoidance
❧ Waterfront Property?
Dock / Seawall
Restrictions and limitations
Mangroves
H
How
❧ Protected Species Surveys, Permitting
❧ Local, State, & Federal Permitting
❧ Ecological Assessment
❧ Vegetation & Habitat Mapping
W
Who
❧ Residential Custom Builders
❧ Commercial Developers
❧ Individual Property Owners
❧ Real Estate Agents -
Buyers' Agents
Sellers' Agents
Things to consider BEFORE making an offer on a parcel:
Florida is a "Buyer Beware" state. Environmental Due Diligence sounds confusing, but you owe it to yourself to know what you are making an offer on
Are there protected species? Gopher Tortoise burrows? Is the parcel in Scrub Jay territory? Bald Eagle nest? Burrowing Owls?
Are there "Grand" or "Heritage" trees on the parcel? Can they be preserved/avoided? Estimated impact to Tree Permit fees.
Are there wetlands on the property? Will they impact building plans?
If on the water, are there mangroves present? Do you plan to build a dock, boardwalk, or seawall? Is the water part of an aquatic preserve?
Assessment for building / clearing permits
Assessment for rezoning
Wetland Identification / Delineation
Protected Species Habitat Mapping
Feasibility Study
.
Waterfront Property
Dock / Seawall
Mangrove Trimming
Coastal Construction Control Line(CCCL)
.
Protected Species
Burrowing Owl Permitting
Florida Scrub Jay Surveys
Bald Eagle Management Plans
Bald Eagle Monitoring
& More
Your project timeline is important to us.
We focus on identifying and resolving the issues while minimizing the impact to your schedule.
Your time is valuable.
We can help clarify the sometimes confusing regulatory and permitting requirements.
Serving all of Central and Southwest Florida, headquartered in Charlotte County.
Proud member of:
Society of Wetland Scientists
Ecological Society of America
Gopher Tortoise Council
Florida Master Naturalist
Orianne Society
Suncoast Ecological Services, LLC
is certified as a Florida Veteran Business Enterprise (FVBE)
and is 100% woman owned.
Burrowing Owl Info
Charlotte County has multiple populations of burrowing owls.
One of them is located in Rotonda Meadows & Villas
This area had been cleared, with roads and utilities installed, but to this point has been sparsely developed with scattered single family homes
It has been reported that approximately 500 parcels were acquired by a developer
We are going to do everything possible to protect our owls
We are starting by locating and marking the burrows, with documentation being provided to multiple organizations.
The goal is NOT to make development difficult - the county already does 100% site inspections as part of the permitting process and has a checklist of natural resources they look for with each having their own protocol.
Rather, the goal is to inform and facilitate, as it is possible to construct homes while protecting our wildlife and the habitat. The owls, tortoises, and eagles all make wonderful neighbors.
State and federal laws prohibit the harassment of burrowing owls. This includes throwing things at them, trying to catch them, offering food items of any kind, or getting so close that their normal behavior is compromised in any way, especially during nesting season. Nesting season runs from February 15th through July 10th, but a nest is considered active any time it contains eggs or young that cannot fly.
Although the owls may appear content or tolerant of your presence, if you are too close they may be afraid to leave the nest area to hunt for food for their young. If the owls start bobbing their heads, you are already too close. Bobbing their heads is not a way of saying hello, they are getting nervous and want you to back away.
When viewing burrowing owls and taking pictures, do not stay in the area around them for extended periods of time, and maintain a minimum distance of 33 feet. Please consider that other people also come to view and photograph our burrowing owls. The cumulative effect of too many people, too close, for too long, could be devastating to the young.
Consideration of their needs and well being will help us to ensure that there are burrowing owls for many generations to come.
