Most activities associated with residential lawn and landscape maintenance do not require a permit provided activities do not collapse gopher tortoise burrows or harm gopher tortoises. Even if gopher tortoise burrows are present on your property, you may not need a permit if all development activity will avoid burrows and tortoises by at least 25 feet. This includes planned vegetation clearing, grading or ground leveling, construction, or heavy equipment staging areas such as bulldozers, etc. Routine yard maintenance and landscaping activities that do not harm tortoises or collapse burrows do not require permits. Whether a permit is required or not, temporary exclusion fencing (black fabric fencing or "silt fencing" used on construction projects) should be used to protect tortoises and burrows not directly impacted by preventing those tortoises from entering the area where construction activities are occurring. Gopher tortoise burrows are classified as either potentially occupied or abandoned. A permit is required when a potentially occupied gopher tortoise burrow will be disturbed or otherwise damaged. View our gallery on this page for a photo guide for determining if a burrow is potentially occupied. The Gopher Tortoise Permitting Guidelines also provide a glossary with additional information on the different burrow classifications.