Florida Homes Get Permit to Oopsie Rare Lizards?
Published Date: 12/9/2025
Notice
Summary
Park Square Homes wants to build new apartments in Highlands County, Florida, where two special lizards—the sand skink and blue-tailed mole skink—live. They’ve asked for a permit that lets them accidentally affect these lizards while building, along with a plan to protect their habitat. The public can comment on this plan until January 8, 2026, before any final decisions are made.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Mitigation credits must be bought first
If you are the developer (Park Square Homes), you must buy conservation credits equal to 3.28 acres of skink-occupied habitat from the Lake Wales Ridge Conservation Bank or another Service‑approved bank before starting any phase of the project.
Project may get faster NEPA review
The Fish and Wildlife Service preliminarily found this proposed 5-year incidental take permit may qualify as a "low-effect" action and be categorically excluded from a full NEPA review, meaning the project could avoid more extensive environmental review.
Five-year incidental take request for skinks
Park Square Homes is requesting a 5-year incidental take permit to allow conversion of about 1.64 acres of sand skink and blue-tailed mole skink habitat as part of building a multi-family project on a 324-acre set of parcels in Highlands County, Florida.
Public comment window and data disclosure
Members of the public can submit written comments on the permit application and HCP through January 8, 2026, and comments submitted to regulations.gov will be posted publicly; if you include personal contact details they may be made public.
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