SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – A North Port landowner has been fined more than $150,000 by the city due to unlawfully cutting down trees and disturbing gopher tortoise burrows.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, gopher tortoises are regionally threatened and protected by the state.
The property is roughly 11 acres with plans to develop it into residential homes and apartment complexes…