———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Save the Manatee Club - action [at] savethemanatee.org
Date: Nov 20, 2007 2:35 PM
Subject: Urge Governor Crist To “Fix The System”

Urge Governor Crist To “Fix The System”
Final Downlisting Vote Scheduled for December 5th Meeting
Please Attend or Send a Quick Online Letter

In September, with your help, we won a huge temporary victory for manatees! Governor Charlie Crist stepped in and asked the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to postpone their vote to downlist manatees from “Endangered” to “Threatened” status. He pointed to the record-setting mortality in 2006 and to the need for a better method to estimate the manatee population.

Your e-mails to the governor were powerful and helped to convince him to take a brave stand for manatees. But now, Governor Crist is under intense pressure from go-fast boating and development interests to fast-track the manatee’s downlisting. The vote to downlist manatees in Florida is scheduled again for the Commission’s December 5th meeting.

The Issue: The FWC is using a classification system to downlist manatees that desperately needs to be revised. Proving our point, the IUCN - World Conservation Union - a world authority on endangered species - recently classified the Florida manatee as “Endangered” using the exact criteria the FWC has adopted for their “Threatened” category. Unless the Commission changes its flawed listing rule, most of Florida’s imperiled species will face increased risks as a result of losing protections afforded by their current listing status.

* Read a letter to Governor Crist from Save the Manatee Club and other organizations representing over 21 million people (pdf).

What You Can Do:

1. Act Now! Please attend the FWC Commission meeting on December 5th in Key Largo, FL to show your support for manatees. If you plan to attend, please call Janice Nearing at Save the Manatee Club at 1-800-432-5646 or e-mail jnearing [at] savethemanatee.org.

Marriott Key Largo
103800 Overseas Hwy.
Key Largo, FL 33037
Phone: 305-453-0582
Date: December 5, 2007
Time: Please plan to arrive by 9:00 a.m.

2. If you can’t attend the meeting, please take a few moments of your time to send an online letter to Governor Crist and FWC Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto, asking them to reject the downlisting of the Florida manatee and fix the state’s flawed classification system. This will help to ensure that ALL the state’s imperiled species - including manatees - are correctly classified and receive the protections they desperately need. It’s quick and easy!

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.

3. Ask your friends and family members to send the letter.

4. Make a donation now to help us take whatever actions are necessary to ensure that manatees are protected.

Contact Information:

Governor Charlie Crist
PL-05 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Phone: 850-488-7146
Fax: 850-487-0801
Email: Charlie.Crist [at] MyFlorida.com

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 [at] MyFWC.com

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

Sign up for our free Paddle Tales E-Newsletter: Go to www.savethemanatee.org/enews_signup.htm

Our postal address is:

500 N. Maitland Ave.
Maitland, Florida 32751
United States

About SMC

Save the Manatee Club is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 by former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham and singer Jimmy Buffett. To learn more about manatees and our work, go to www.savethemanatee.org

Join Us!

Adopt-A-Manatee and join Save the Manatee Club. Your contribution will support our work to help protect endangered manatees and their habitat. For more information, go to www.savethemanatee.org/adoptpag.htm

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 www.savethemanatee.org/action.htm

Questions?

You can get updates on Action Alert issues by visiting the Take Action page of our web site. If you have additional questions, email us at action [at] savethemanatee.org

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