The Charlotte County Scrub Jay Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) was implemented to address construction and development impacts to the Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) and Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi) throughout the County. The plan runs over a 30‐year period, which began in 2015, and established a Reserve to serve as compensation for loss of occupied scrub jay habitat.
As part of the plan, Charlotte County Parks & Natural Resources is required to periodically audit and assess development fees to ensure the fees generated by the HCP adequately cover the costs of maintaining the Reserve. As required by Section 5.4.5 of the HCP on Nov. 8, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners approved adjusting the Scrub jay development fee, which will become effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Adjustments will be made annually to account for inflation, as reflected by changes in the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Home Price Index (HPI) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Nonresidential Building Maintenance & Repair Producer Price Index (PPI). If you pre-paid your Scrub jay fees pursuant to program guidelines prior to Dec. 31, 2022, you may be subject to additional fees pursuant to your HCP permit terms.
Please see the table below for the adjusted fee amounts for 2026:
| Tier | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1: 0.00 - 0.22 acres | $ 2,000 | $ 2,031 |
| 2: 0.23 - 0.49 acres | $ 4,000 | $ 4,063 |
| 3: 0.50 - 1.00 acres | $ 9,999 | $ 10,005 |
| 4: 1.01 - 3.00 acres | $ 23,270 | $ 23,635 |
| 5: 3.01 - 5.00 acres | $ 61,993 | $ 62,966 |
| 6: 5.01 - 20.00 acres | $ 139,440 | $ 141,629 |
| 7: 20.01 - 99.99 acres | $ 579,939 | $ 589,044 |
| 8: > 100.00 acres | $ 2,254,308 | $ 2,289,700 |
Please contact Parks & Natural Resources at 941-613-3220 for more information.