US wildlife officials deny increased gopher tortoise protections

Concluding that the animals are “not in danger of extinction,” federal wildlife officials Tuesday rejected listing gopher tortoises in Florida as endangered or threatened species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a 113-page decision that said gopher tortoises would continue to be considered a threatened species in parts of southwest Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana under the Endangered Species Act.

But it said increased protections are not warranted for gopher tortoises in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and other parts of Alabama, despite issues such as development moving into the animals’ habitats.