The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Imperiled Species Management Plan continues to move forward. The latest draft of the plan was released on October 12, 2015.
The draft plan will be presented at the November 18-19 commission meeting in Panama City, with staff requesting the plan be formally opened up for comment. The comment period is projected to run from November through January 2016.
Notable changes to this version of the plan include the addition of several glossary terms, clarification of the term “cryptic species,” an expansion of the assessment chapter, and additional language relating to authorizations issued through coordination with other state and federal agencies.
Landowners, take note
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also continues to issue draft species guidelines – with guidelines recently released for the white-crowned pigeon, the key ringneck snake, the Everglades mink, and the Florida brown snake. The commission will continue to issue guidelines until published for each of the 57 species the plan addresses in its species action plans.
Of interest in the recent guidelines is the language relating to cryptic species utilized in the guidance for the Florida brown snake and the Everglades mink.
The basis of this guidance will be utilized for any species that may be difficult to detect due to behavior, habitat or physical features. The guidance stresses that permitting standards for these species will focus on cooperation and acquiring information , with permitting standards being adjusted as information is acquired.
Because these species are difficult to detect, a higher burden of study and information may be placed on properties where these species exist and persons who wish to develop lands containing these species should understand this requirement. While there may be a higher initial burden to submit information, the opportunity to submit information for study may influence the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's future regulation of these species.
Cryptic species include
- Everglades mink
- Florida brown snake
- Florida Keys mole skink
- Florida pine snake
- Georgia blind salamander
- Homosassa shrew
- key ringneck snake
- rim rock crowned snake
- Sherman’s short-tailed shrew
- short-tailed snake
More changes
At the meeting, staff will also request permission to advertise changes to the following rules:
- 68A-9.002 Permits to take wildlife or freshwater fish for justifiable purposes;
- 68A-16.003 Non-listed inactive migratory bird nests;
- 68A-26.002 Regulations relating to the taking of amphibians;
- 68A-27.0012 Procedures for listing and removing species from Florida’s endangered and threatened species list;
- 68A-27.003 Designation of endangered and threatened species, prohibitions;
- 68A-27.005 Designation of species of special concern, prohibitions, permits; and
- 68A-27.007 Permits and authorizations for the taking of Florida endangered and threatened species.
Changes to the rules are necessitated by the Imperiled Species Management Plan.
Some of the major changes to the rules include:
- 23 species will be changed from "species of special concern" to "threatened"; and
- 15 species will be removed from the list.
The species coming off the list will continue to be protected to some degree in order to ensure the species do not become threatened or "species of special concern" once again.
