Conservationist says seawall construction a danger to sea turtles

Ponte Vedra conservationist Nancy Condron is considering legal action against the State for approving seawall construction extensions into sea turtle nesting season.

The construction window usually closes on May 31 with the beginning of nesting season.

Condron is the volunteer coordinator for Mickler’s Landing Sea Turtle Patrol, a group that works to monitor nesting patterns and collect data on sea turtle nests at the beach.

She claims the construction could jeopardize  nests on the beach.

“Our nesting is way down this year,” said Condron.

She said the year-over-year numbers are most telling.

The group’s records indicate at least 50 nests through this June 27 in the years from 2015-17.

As of Wednesday, the group counts 27.

“Sometimes it makes me angry but most of the time it makes me really sad,” said Condron.

Homeowners on Mickler’s Landing beach are constructing seawalls to protect their homes in the event of a powerful storms.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are working together to monitor the construction and permitting extensions into nesting season.

Dee Ann Miller of the DEP Press Office tells Action News Jax about 20 homes got extensions to complete ongoing seawalls projects.

Miller tells us the extensions must meet guidelines set forth by the FWC.

They include no construction before 9 AM, daily reports to DEP and FWC from the permittee/contractor and weekly authorizations by DEP after meetings with FWC.

“Department staff has continued perform frequent site inspections to ensure compliance with these conditions and that there is consistent progress,” said Miller in a statement.

Condron is worried by evidence she says suggests more false crawls, the act of sea turtles coming to shore but not laying their eggs, than actual nests on the beach. She tells us false crawls could cause a turtle to lose their young.

She showed Action News Jax tracks she said were left behind recently from a false crawl.

Condron claims the tracks indicate the turtle wandered in or around a construction site.

“She could have fallen in the pit for the seawall,” said Condron. “A lot of bad things could have happened to the turtle.”

Miller said their agency is aware of the nests on the beach and sent inspects to Mickler’s Landing.

She said their inspection concluded adequate measures were taken to protect wildlife.

“FWC also sent an inspector out to assess the nests and current site conditions to inform their determination of any further modifications to the permit conditions that need to be made or other actions that need to be taken at this time and notified,” said Miller.

Condron tells us she’s willing to go to the courts.

“We’ve been fighting the DEP and FWC,” said Condron.

The State has the option of revoking the permits.

Cox Media Group