The Florida Scrub-jay is protected under both state and federal laws. In addition, Scrub habitats, nests and eggs are also protected by these regulations.

The pressing regulatory requirements for protection of Scrub-jays and their habitat are under the Endangered Species Act, which is enforced by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). USFWS has oversight for the Endangered Species Act, and staff at the Vero Beach office can be reached at 772-562-3909.

The county may not relieve an applicant of the requirements of federal nor state regulations. For properties that contain scrub habitats or are occupied by Florida Scrub-jays, consultation is required with USFWS prior to initiating a project and before the county may issue a building permit or tree removal and protection permit.

Consultation is a process through which a development proposal is reviewed by USFWS and a determination made about how impacts may be avoided, minimized or mitigated.

• After the determination is made and the applicant complies, USFWS issues a release letter for the parcel.
• USFWS must release a property before the county can issue any development permits for a parcel. Coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is also required.
• Generally this process is initiated when an applicant submits a complete development application to Sarasota County.
• Resource Protection staff, in their review of the application will identify protected habitat or species issues and provide notification of the consultation requirement.

In an effort to reduce the regulatory burden of this process, Sarasota County is developing the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Florida Scrub-jay. The HCP will define a preserve network and establish a mitigation credit system for alleviating some of the regulatory burden on citizens and for mitigating impacts.

To view the documents listed below, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

	Christman 2000 Survey - Part 1		FWS Strategy Approval Letter Part 1
	Christman 2000 Survey - Part 2		FWS Strategy Approval Letter Part 2
	Christman 2000 Survey - Part 3		FWS Strategy Approval Letter Part 3
	Christman 2000 Survey - Part 4a		HCP Modeling Report - 05/01/07 Part 1
	Christman 2000 Survey - Part 4b		HCP Modeling Report - 05/01/07 Part 2
	Dr. Fitzpatrick's Presentation		HCP Modeling Report - 05/01/07 Part 3
	USFWS Amended Mitigation Guidance		HCP Modeling Report - 05/01/07 Part 4
	Perspectives on Scrub-jay Conservation		North Port Habitat Final Review
	USFWS Habitat Conservation Plans		Scrub-Jay Habitat Local Consultants

Interim Strategy:
On Dec. 13, 2006, Sarasota County and USFWS adopted new procedures that streamline the permitting process for owners of lots that may contain Florida Scrub-jay habitat.

Under these guidelines, single-family properties that are less than one acre and are located within 850 feet of a documented Scrub-jay siting must consult with USFWS prior to obtaining a county permit to develop the property.

Lots referred to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for consultation are not made “unbuildable” as a result of this process, but property owners must coordinate with U.S. Fish and Wildlife for projects to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts.

For owners of property located in the city of North Port, continue to consult the city’s Web site.

Note: The interim strategy instructs property owners whether or not they need to consult with USFWS. New guidelines for how to conduct Florida Scrub-jay surveys on urban, single family lots that are less than one acre were issued by the North Florida Ecological Services Office of the USFWS Sept. 26, 2005.