New Scrub Jay Regulations Benefit Lot Owners

If you’ve been investing in Charlotte County land for any length of time, you may have heard about the Florida Scrub Jay. The Florida scrub-jay is a gray and blue bird about the size of a mockingbird, usually measuring 10-12 inches in length and weighing 2½ ounces.

Florida scrub-jays are protected by The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under the Endangered Species Act and Chapter 39, Florida Administrative Code, respectively. The Florida scrub-jay has been listed as Threatened by the state of Florida since 1975 and since 1987 by FWS. This protection makes it illegal to possess, harm, or harass Florida scrub-jays.

To build on land in designated Scrub Jay habitats, you had to apply for the permit through the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission–which took years for approval and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The permit for a quarter acre lot of land could cost up to $30,000 and take anywhere from 1-4 years to approve. But now there is great news. It will only cost $2,200 and a few days for approval reports WINK News.

After years of drafting plans and working with FWC, Charlotte County is the first county in the state to pass the ordinance to streamline the process of getting the permit. The Scrub Jays won’t be harmed in any way because the county has already purchased land for the birds relocation.

Charlotte County has an interactive map that will determine of the land you are looking for is in a “Scub Jay Zone”. You can search here: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/services/scrubjay/Pages/default.aspx If you are looking to buy a lot, take a minute and search to see if it is determined as Scrub Jay land.

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