The City of Bonita Springs protects its Southern Bald Eagle population through Objective 7.6 of the Conservation and Coastal Management Element of the Comprehensive Plan
The City of Bonita Springs protects its Southern Bald Eagle population through Objective 7.6 of the Conservation and Coastal Management Element of the Comprehensive Plan, which was incorporated into the City’s Land Development Code (LDC) by Ordinance 10-05. The purpose of these regulations is to protect the eagle’s nesting habitat from development and human-created disturbances such as construction and other activities. One way to help prevent disturbances is through a Bald Eagle Management Plan (BEMP) which the LDC requires for certain developments to establish protection practices for critical eagle nesting habitat through limitation of disturbance or alteration to these areas and management of the preserved portions of the critical eagle nesting habitat.
The LDC and National Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibit construction work during the nesting season without a Bald Eagle Management Plan and/or monitoring for the disturbance of eagle nesting per approved monitoring guidelines. No bald eagle nesting has occurred at this nest for four nesting seasons; however, nests and their buffer zones remain protected for a period of five years after the last nesting attempt.
The Development Order for Angler’s Paradise is under review and approval is anticipated soon. Project planning started nearly fifteen years ago, and a Biological Opinion was obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for potential impacts to the eagle nest, which was then located in a different tree southwest of the current tree. Project planning was halted, and the same protections have been incorporated into the current BEMP. The BEMP addresses project activities with timelines for work in respect to the eagle nesting season and required monitoring of the eagles to determine disturbance and halting or adjustment of any construction activities observed to cause disturbance. The Applicant and Staff agree with the attached BEMP, and LDC Sec. 7-79(d)(2) requires approval of the BEMP by the City Council.