Fw: Last Chance to Oppose Downlisting Manatees!

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Last Chance to Oppose Downlisting the Manatee!Save the Manatee Club

 

Last Chance to Oppose Politically Driven

Downlisting of the Manatee!

Attend September 12th Meeting or Send a Quick Online Letter

 

After changing the criteria for imperiled species status (using a

classification system that desperately needs to be revised), the Florida

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to reclassify the

Florida manatee. On September 12th, the final step in downlisting the

manatee from " endangered " to " threatened " status at the state level will be

brought before the Commission, which is comprised solely of members

representing strong development interests.

 

The FWC will try to convince the public that downlisting manatees is a good

thing, but their action will undoubtedly lead to more horrific manatee

deaths like those that occurred recently in Crystal River.

Get more information on the Crystal River boat kills and send a quick online

letter asking for better enforcement of boat speed zones.

 

 

Help manatees now by sending an online letter saying you oppose this

wrongful downlisting.

http://www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=20

 

A Manatee Management Plan, which includes the downlisting recommendation, is

also up for approval at the September meeting. We do not support the Plan

for numerous reasons, including the lack of committed funding in order to

implement it, flaws in the interpretation of the Plan's science, and its

stated recovery benchmarks.

 

In addition, the Commission will consider whether to recommend cutting 90

law enforcement positions, which would reduce patrols in manatee areas as

well as the ability to protect other resources and the people who are using

Florida's waterways. Finally, the Commission will consider whether to

recommend cutting manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts as well. All

these actions will open the door to substantially weakened protections for

manatees at a time when Florida is facing unparalleled development

pressures.

 

 

What You Can Do:

 

Act Now! Please attend the FWC meeting on September 12th at the St.

Petersburg Hilton. The manatee issue is early on the agenda, so plan to be

there by 9:00 a.m. Please contact Janice Nearing, our Director of Public

Relations, at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) if you plan to attend.

 

Hilton

333 First Street South

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Phone: (727) 894-5000

Get directions

 

If you can't attend the meeting, please click below to send an online letter

to Florida's Governor Charlie Crist and FWC Commission Chairman Rodney

Barreto, opposing the manatee's state reclassification, the Management Plan,

and the cutbacks in on-water law enforcement officers and funding for the

rescue of injured manatees, which will likely lead to even more manatees

needlessly dying. Please help now!

 

http://www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=20

 

If you prefer to send a personal message, contact information for Governor

Crist and Chairman Barreto is listed below:

 

Governor Charlie Crist

PL-05 The Capitol

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

Phone: 850-488-7146

Fax: 850-487-0801

Email: Charlie.Crist

 

Chairman Rodney Barreto

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

620 South Meridian Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600

Phone: 850-487-3796

Fax: (850) 921-5786

E-mail: Commissioners

 

 

 

 

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