Cape Coral to discuss purchasing land for burrowing owls

Cape Coral is taking steps to protect its burrowing owls.

Last year, the city council approved a $900,000 grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to purchase plots of land for the owls’ habitat, and now, the city will meet to discuss purchasing five land plots for burrowing owl habitat preservation using the funds. 

• READ MORE: Cape Coral City Council approves $900,000 grant for burrowing owls

If the five resolutions are approved during Wednesday night’s meeting, it will approve lot purchases for the preservation of the burrowing owl habitat.

The properties, scattered across Cape Coral, will be transformed into safe havens for the burrowing owls.

The City of Cape Coral aims to make these spaces permanent homes for the owls, ensuring their safety and preservation.

“It all comes down to making sure these little ones have a home,” said a representative of the city council.

The grant agreement involved the FWC and the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.

It focuses on preserving burrowing owl habitats in Cape Coral.

“Our long-time member and past president of the Friends of Wildlife cornered the people from FWC about three years ago at a meeting and asked them what they were doing with all the money that is paid for mitigation permits for burrowing owls,” said Cheryl Anderson, a long-time member and past president of the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife.

Anderson continued, “In order to move burrowing owls, builders have to pay a certain amount of money in mitigation fees, and it’s set aside, supposedly to buy land for burrowing owls. Well, they’ve never used it, so Carl [a long-time member and past president of the Friends of Wildlife] backed them into the wall and said, ‘You need to use this land now.'”

Cape Coral Wildlife Trust currently owns 81 lots spanning over nine acres, designated for owls and other wildlife, such as tortoises. Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife will oversee the maintenance, monitoring and reporting of each site.

With more than 5,000 burrowing owls, Cape Coral hosts the largest population in the state.

The city council is expected to vote on the purchase of these properties Wednesday night.