Fw: Stop Destruction of Impportant Manatee Habitat

[Guest guest]

Protest Manatee Downlisting

Save the Manatee Club

 

Keep The Heat On So Manatees

Won't Be Left Out In The Cold

Your help is making a difference for manatees!

 

A big THANK YOU to everyone who sent messages to the St. John's River Water

Management District (District), Florida Department of Environmental

Protection, and Florida Governor Jeb Bush - your actions are helping us get

some movement in the right direction! The District recently met and decided

to delay the final vote on the proposal to tap into waters from Blue Spring

to support increasing development and demands for water from surrounding

counties.

 

The District has postponed their decision until October 10th in order to

re-run their model using the most recent winter season manatee counts, which

is expected to force them to revise the rule proposal. We have repeatedly

told the District that their model is erroneous and underestimates manatee

use, and this past winter season proved our point with substantially more

manatees showing up to use the spring than their model predicted. For

example, a minimum of 190 manatees were documented at Blue Spring during the

2005/2006 season, while the District model would not provide warm water for

that many manatees until 2009. And the District's current minimum flow

proposal doesn't require the Blue Spring flow to be restored to present

levels until 2024!

 

As you know, Blue Spring is a critical warm water refuge for manatees in the

winter. And manatees have gained an ally in Philippe Cousteau, grandson of

the late explorer Jacques Cousteau, who was recently at Blue Spring creating

a documentary for National Public Radio. In an Orlando Sentinel article,

Philippe was quoted as saying, " This spring and these manatees represent a

resource that should benefit all of the people of Florida, not just a few

special interests. "

 

The District has made the right decision to delay the final vote on the

proposal. They have seen first hand that their model doesn't work before the

rule was even adopted. The District should set the minimum flow at no less

than the current average annual flow level (157.7 cfs). We need to keep the

heat on so manatees are not left out in the cold come October!

 

 

What You Can Do:

 

Send a Quick Online Letter and tell Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the Secretary

of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Chairman of

the District Governing Board that you oppose the District's proposal. Please

below to get more background information and send a quick

and easy online letter. If you prefer to send a personal letter or email,

contact information is listed below.

 

http://www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=8

 

Blue Spring Minimum Flow Public Hearing

Regulatory Meeting of the Governing Board

When: Tuesday, October 10, 2006, 1:00 p.m.

Where:

St. Johns River Water Management District

4049 Reid Street

Palatka, FL 32177

Click here for more information and driving directions

 

Please forward this email to as many people as you can.

 

Thank you for your help on this important issue for manatees!

 

 

Contact Information:

 

Governor Jeb Bush

The Capitol

400 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399

Fax: 850-487-0801

E-mail: jeb.bush

 

Secretary Colleen Castille

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

3900 Commonwealth Blvd, MS 10

Tallahassee, FL 32399

Fax: 850-245-2128

E-mail: colleen.castille

 

David G. Graham, Chairman

SJRWMD Governing Board

4049 Reid Street

Palatka, FL 32177

Fax: 386-329-4125

E-mail: nmesser

 

 

About SMC

Save the Manatee Club is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 by former

Florida Governor Bob Graham and singer Jimmy Buffett. To learn more about

manatees and our work, go to http://www.savethemanatee.org

 

Pass It Along

Help spread the word about manatees! Please forward this action alert to

your family and friends. If you got this message from a friend, sign up to

receive our Action Alerts at our Take Action page at

http://www.savethemanatee.org/action.htm

 

http://www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=8