Palm Beach County mine expansion could kill rare snakes - Sun Sentinel

Resident expert on all things environmental, Drew Martin, quoted in the article. And he mentions the Briger Tract, which has been the home of "tree sits" and other protests by EF! and others. They haven't found any snakes on this particular property, but the habitat is one that would be likely for them. Click title for link to article.

Drew Martin, conservation chair of the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, said other projects, such as the proposed development of the Briger tract in northern Palm Beach County, would kill indigo snakes.

"We have the snakes being threatened in a lot of places," he said. "The more we reduce the number of indigo snakes, the more we run the risk that the snake could become extinct."

The opinion letter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not say the work should not go forward. Although it said the work would "adversely affect" the species, the letter said the mine would not "jeopardize" its existence, the trigger that could hold up a project. The letter said the mining work would have to comply with standard procedures published by the wildlife service for avoiding harm to indigo snakes.