Florida last week issued the last permits for its controversial "pave-and-pay" program, which has so far killed tens of thousands of rare gopher tortoises.
Under the program, land developers have been allowed to pave over tortoise burrows if they pay into a fund for state land conservation.
But that means the tortoises die from suffocation even as large chunks of their habitat are destroyed.
In response to public outcry, Florida wildlife officials recently announced that they will phase out the program.
"The people of Florida have spoken, and they are not going to tolerate entombment any longer," said Joy Hill, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC).
Gopher tortoises, found in six southeastern states, live in sandy areas at higher elevations.
The reptiles spend much of their time in 15- to 48-foot-long (5- to 15-meter-long) burrows, which are 6 feet (2 meters) or more underground.
The tortoises are considered imperiled in a number of states. In Florida gopher tortoises were named as a "species of special concern" in 1979.
Pave and Slay?
Under Florida's pave-and-pay program, developers obtained "take" permits from the state to build on top of tortoise burrows—essentially entombing them alive.
About 94,000 tortoises may have been buried since pave-and-pay began in 1991. Some suffered slow deaths due to dehydration or starvation, while others were crushed by heavy machinery.
"Sadly, tortoises were entombed as buildings were going in," said Joan Berish, a wildlife biologist with the FWCC.
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