ARCHER- Plans are in motion for the proposed Archer Braid Trail and some Alachua County residents fear that rather than a trail of recreation, it’s leaving a trail of destruction.

Archer Resident Philip Videon claims that according to the projected path of the trail, bulldozers will destroy gopher tortoise and woodpecker habitats on the edge of his property. 

In Florida the gopher tortoise is listed as threatened

We decided to investigate Videon’s gopher tortoise claims along the trail and experts told us we found something completely different.

University of Florida Wildlife Conservation Associate Professor, Dr. Perran Ross says, “It really didn’t look like a gopher tortoise burrow it looked more like an armadillo burrow to me, the one that was clear.”

Dr. Ross says that identifying a gopher tortoise mound isn’t too difficult if you know what you’re looking for.

More information regarding development regulations surrounding land development and gopher tortoises can be found here.