North Port, FL Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- ULDC § 6.4.7
- Species covered
- Alligator, Bonneted Bat, Panther
- Added
- 8-6-2024, Ord. 2024-13
- Trigger
- Environmental assessment or site inspection
Summary
North Port's land development code requires developers to follow federal and state wildlife-agency guidance for the American Alligator, Florida Bonneted Bat, and Florida Panther before clearing or building on a site where they are present.
A.Protection Regulations.(1)The American Alligator is protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Alligator Management Program, Division of Hunting and Game Management, shall be followed on sites with known American Alligators and/or habitat.B.The Florida Bonneted Bat is protected as an Endangered species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a Federally-designated Endangered species by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services Best Management Practices in the publication Florida Bonneted Bat Consultation Guidelines shall be followed when a development site demonstrates potential roosting habitat.C.The Florida Panther is protected as an Endangered species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a Federally-designated Endangered species by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. Habitat assessment methodology, as developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, should be applied to areas identified as potential Florida Panther habitat prior to development. [Added 8-6-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-13, § 3.05(Exh.A)]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of the City: Supplement 65 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
Unified Land Development Code Section 6.4.7 lists three additional protected species that trigger review during development: the American Alligator, Florida Bonneted Bat, and Florida Panther. Where an environmental assessment or Natural Resources Division site inspection finds alligators, the project must follow the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Alligator Management Program. Bonneted Bat roosting habitat triggers the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Bonneted Bat Consultation Guidelines, and identified Florida Panther habitat requires the federal habitat assessment methodology before development proceeds. The section works alongside separate ULDC provisions covering scrub-jays, gopher tortoises, manatees, and the eastern indigo snake.
Violations & Fines
The ULDC ties compliance to the development review process itself: site plans and permits are conditioned on following the applicable FWC or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidance before land clearing or construction begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which species does North Port's protected-species rule cover?
What happens if Florida Panther habitat is found on a development site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Port
Florida rules heatmap·Compare North Port to another location·View the Florida tree protection overview
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Protected Tree Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sarasota County handle protected tree species.