FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Carol
Lis or Rob Irving, Lee County Environmental Compliance/Enforcement
(239) 479-8585
SEA
TURTLE NESTING SEASON BEGINS THURSDAY, MAY 1
FORT
MYERS, Fla. (May
1, 2003) ‑ Nesting season for the endangered sea turtle officially begins
Thursday (May 1) and Lee County, along with other organizations, is urging
residents and visitors to familiarize themselves and comply with Sea Turtle
Protection Regulations.
The
regulations are in force from May 1 through October 31.
The
main focus of the regulations is to reduce lighting on beaches during nesting
times so that hatchlings can find their way to sea and don't become confused by
artificial illumination (lights). From 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. lights may not directly or indirectly
illuminate the beach. Lee County
recognizes that some lighting is necessary, but ways to achieve compliance
include:
Turn
the lights off
Replace
bulbs with 25 watt yellow bug lights
Install
recessed lamps with low wattage bulbs
Shield
the lights with an opaque material on three sides
Rotate
the lights away from the beach
Obscure
the lights with dense vegetation
Use
low profile lighting
Use
motion detector sensors set on minimum duration
Close
curtains or blinds
Also
during these times:
Fires
are prohibited on the beach
Mechanical
raking of the beach is restricted by State permits
All
beach furniture and equipment must be removed from the beach to behind the
permanent dune line and stacked between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. from
Bonita Beach to Captiva.
The
sea turtle regulations are designed to encourage voluntary compliance.
Enforcement action will be taken in situations where violations are not
corrected. For more information on
sea turtle regulations or light shielding questions, contact Lee County
Environmental Sciences at 479‑8585 or visit its web site www.lee‑county.com/dcd/environmental/seaturtles.htm.
To
report a sea turtle nest, dead/injured sea turtles or disoriented hatchlings,
contact the following:
On
Fort Myers Beach, Big Hickory Island and Bonita Beach, Turtle Time, Inc.,
481‑5566, www.turtletime.org
On
Sanibel/Captiva Islands, Sanibel‑Captiva Conservation Foundation,
472‑2329, www.sccf.org/turtle.htm