St. Johns County, FL Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

10 establishes two Management Zones around every documented Bald Eagle nest in unincorporated St. Johns County. The Primary Zone is an undisturbed area extending a minimum 750-foot radius from the nest tree, marked on all Development plans. a bans residential, commercial and industrial development including buildings, roads, sidewalks and recreation areas; platting of buildable lots; land clearing, tree removal, logging, construction or mining; toxic chemicals harmful to wildlife; and searchlights or spotlights, except for emergency responders. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Secondary Zone extends a further 750 feet outward.

There, development is limited at all times to single-family housing on lots of at least 7,500 square feet with buildings no taller than 35 feet, and toxic chemicals remain banned. b adds a ban on land clearing, tree removal, and installing utilities, septic systems, roads, slabs, pools or drilling and grading, plus most exterior construction work such as framing, roof sheathing and installing fencing with impact tools, and caps construction noise measured at the base of the nest tree. C, construction can resume in the Secondary Zone only if the nest is documented unused or abandoned for 30 consecutive days on or after December 1, approved by the Board of County Commissioners with FWC and USFWS, and monitored by a County-approved Monitor at least two hours daily throughout the work.