I’m a few days later in posting this (sorry!), so for the latest news on the September 12 vote, visit Save the Manatee Club’s current news section. They don’t appear to have an update posted yet, but I imagine they will as news develops.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Save the Manatee Club - action [at] savethemanatee.org
Date: Sep 11, 2007 3:51 PM
Subject: Gov. Crist Asks to Postpone Manatee Reclassification
BREAKING NEWS!
Florida Governor Crist Asks State Agency to Postpone Endangered Manatee’s Reclassification
Tomorrow, September 12th, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is scheduled to vote on whether to reclassify the manatee at the state level from “endangered” to “threatened” status based on listing/delisting rule language that environmental groups have continually called greatly flawed, and that was objected to by numerous scientists worldwide. Further, environmentalists point to the state’s own findings that 50% of the statewide manatee population could be lost in the next 45 years.
Calling the manatee one of Florida’s beloved natural resources, Florida Governor Charlie Crist has issued a letter to Rodney Barreto, Chair of the FWC, asking the Commission to postpone the vote on whether to downlist the species, “…given the need for a better method to estimate the population of the Florida Manatee, and the record 417 manatee deaths in 2006, I believe a more prudent course of action at this time would be to postpone consideration of the proposed change in the status of this species.”
View the full text of Governor Crist’s letter (pdf).
Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club’s Executive Director, applauds Governor Crist and expresses his deep appreciation to the governor for his action. Pat also thanks all of you for your help in making this happen. Those e-mails, letters and phone calls DO help!
What You Can Do:
(more…)