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Because gopher tortoises are a protected species, if burrows are found on a development site that appear to be occupied, developers are required to relocate them to a safer place before they can do any site work.

That’s where Lotspeich comes in.

Ecological firms are required to set up traps to catch the tortoises and monitor them daily — weekends included — for 28 days, per state rules. If no tortoises are captured, the traps can be broken down.

“Once we got it, we figured we’d have it a bit longer than two years. Coming at the end of the year is kind of a surprise. They haven’t even talked with us about setting up a new area to live in,” says Kasal, who is majoring in biochemistry and marine biology. “The biggest thing was, I kind of felt betrayed.”

College administrators, however, have no second thoughts about razing the property, bequeathed to the school by a former student in 1958. They argue that in addition to the need for construction space, removing the wood-built home has environmental benefits.