The fate of the gopher tortoise, Georgia’s state reptile and the only land tortoise in the eastern U.S., has worried conservationists for decades.
Habitat loss and other factors have pushed populations of the gentle, plodding creatures down by an estimated 80% between the 1800s and late 1990s, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys.
Now, Georgia wildlife officials say the state has reached a milestone in its push to protect the animals, even as some environmental groups say more needs to be done to avoid extinction.
On Sept. 24, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said it had reached its goal of securing permanent protection on lands where 65 of the 125 known, viable populations of gopher tortoises in the state reside. Conserving the tortoises’ habitat — from southern pine forests to coastal grasslands and dunes — is key to their survival.
Reaching the benchmark, DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon said, is the product of a “collaborative approach” to wildlife protection Georgia started a decade ago.
“We’re incredibly proud of the success of these conservation efforts,” Rabon said in a statement.
Gopher tortoises inhabit sandy terrain across the Southeast, from southern South Carolina to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, eastern Louisiana and the Florida peninsula. They are considered a “keystone species” that help ensure other critters in their native ecosystems survive. The large burrows they dig are used by the federally threatened eastern indigo snake, along with more than 300 other species.
Credit: © Karine Aigner
Credit: © Karine Aigner
The tortoises are listed as threatened by the federal government in western Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. The designation means the species are likely to become endangered in the future, and affords the animals heightened protection. In Georgia and the rest of their range, the animals are guarded by state law.
In 2011, the federal government found it was warranted to designate the tortoises as threatened in Georgia and other parts of their eastern territory. But the move was never finalized, at least in part because other species were in more dire need, the FWS says.
Then in 2022, the federal agency made a controversial move to withdraw the gopher tortoise as a candidate for listing. The FWS said at the time more recent species assessments revealed the extra protections weren’t needed.
During the back and forth, more than 30 Georgia agencies, conservation groups, companies, private foundations and landowners began their own quest to save the reptiles. It became known as the Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative.
The initiative aimed to protect 65 tortoise populations in the state. According to DNR, research showed that was the magic number to ensure the animals’ long-term survival in the Peach State.
With a mix of land acquisitions, conservation easements and other tools, the project hit its goal last week. The 65th piece of the puzzle, a 1,210-acre tract of land south of Cordele, was secured through an agreement with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The owner of the land, Austin McKinney of Newnan, said the property has been in his family for at least 100 years.
“We’ve always valued uplands, quail and wildlife,” McKinney said in a statement. “ … We take this seriously, and we’re looking forward to continuing to improve the (habitats).”
DNR Commissioner Rabon said the effort to keep Georgia’s tortoises off the Endangered Species List protects wildlife, but “also prevents potential economic impacts for our state.” Listing a species requires identifying “critical habitat” for protection. Critical habitat isn’t restricted from development by private landowners, but projects that require federal permitting, grants or other support could require modification.
Some think the animals’ situation does merit federal safeguards.
The move to withdraw the gopher tortoise from consideration as a threatened species is being challenged in federal court by the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity and another conservation group.
A suit filed in 2023 argues the FWS’ own projections show gopher tortoises declining precipitously in the future, and that the agency erred in denying federal protections. The FWS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.
Elise Bennett, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, called the work that’s been done in Georgia “admirable.” But she argued more is needed, and said the Endangered Species designation can provide that added support.
“We know that there’s a lot of really great conservation work that’s happening,” Bennett said. “It’s just that we need more of it if we’re going to secure a future for the gopher tortoise.”
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