Franklin County part of multi-county program to protect sea turtles

                Franklin County will be part of a multi-county project this year designed to protect nesting sea turtles from man-made lights.

The grant will provide 530 thousand dollars for sea turtle protection in three counties including Franklin, Gulf and Bay counties.

Franklin County has been working for years to help homeowners near the coast use turtle safe lights at their homes – man made lights are dangerous for nesting turtles and their hatchlings as the lights tend to lure the turtles away from the Gulf of Mexico to areas where they can be injured or killed by predators.

County Extension Director Erik Lovestrand said this year’s program differs slightly from those in the past because it doesn’t focus on individual homes.

Instead it focuses on making areas around conservation properties in the county darker.

There are 5 areas of focus including Lighthouse Park on St. George Island, the Phipps Preserve at Alligator Point and the Jeff Lewis Wilderness Preserve on Dog Island.

The grant will pay for one worker in each of the three counties who will work with homeowners and businesses within 1000 feet of the conservation properties on turtle lighting issues so there are bigger areas of turtle friendly nesting areas.   

The turtle protection program is being funded through BP money  - the program is funded for one year. 

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