The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Wildlife Diversity Conservation Section is now offering habitat management assistance funding opportunities for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to local governments through the Habitat Management Assistance Funding Program. To help facilitate habitat management, the FWC is requesting projects from counties and municipalities which will optimize gopher tortoise carrying capacity on protected lands through appropriate habitat management.

One way for local governments to directly help gopher tortoises through Habitat Management Assistance Funding is to improve habitat to meet criteria for a waif gopher tortoise recipient site. Waif recipient sites are permitted by the FWC to receive tortoises that have been removed from the wild and are not associated with an FWC relocation permit. These sites provide waif tortoises a second chance at living in the wild while helping protect Florida’s wild tortoise populations. Waif recipient sites have less rigid requirements for permitting compared to other recipient site permit types.

Local governments requesting assistance must submit projects that manage at least 25 acres of gopher tortoise habitat and do not include permitted gopher tortoise recipient sites or sites with a submitted recipient site application (excluding waif recipient sites). Applicants may request up to $15,000 per project.

Project proposals must be received by the FWC no later than Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. See the attached application for additional information regarding this program. Please direct any questions to the FWC’s Local Government Coordinator, Caitlin Jones, by email at LGCoordination@MyFWC.com