In April 2022, the Executive Committee of the Gopher Tortoise Council submitted the following comments to the Florida Communities Trust Governing Board Members:

 The Gopher Tortoise Council strongly opposes the decision to allow the construction of a toll road through Split Oak WEA, which hosts a viable population of gopher tortoises on one of the most crucial and sensitive natural areas in the Florida peninsula. You can read more about Split Oak and the community members working to conserve it at https://friendsofsplitoak.org/.