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This comment period began on September
1, 2000 and closed on October 16, 2000. The draft rule is
expected to be published in the Federal Register on April 2, 2001.
At that time, it is likely that the agency will issue notice
of public hearings in several areas throughout Florida.
Fish and Wildlife Services Sanctuaries and Refuges
URGENT ACTION ALERT WITH DEADLINE
If you are with an organization, please take action on behalf of
your organization. Please also pass this alert to your members so
they, too, can take action. Many thanks.
We need your immediate help to obtain stronger protection for manatees.
This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.
THE ENDANGERED MANATEE:
There are only an estimated 2,400 manatees left in Florida¯s coastal
waters. Endangered manatees need a place to live and breed in
peace without human disturbance.
In 1999, more manatees were killed from human-related causes than
ever before in recorded history. The majority of these animals were
killed by boats. However, the greatest overall threat to manatee
survival is loss of their habitat to development.
In part because of lawsuits that were filed earlier this year (see
below for more information), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
is considering establishing refuges and sanctuaries for manatees,
areas set aside with minimal or no human activity allowed.
Manatees need protected
areas where they are not dodging speeding boats or being harassed
for such activities as feeding, breeding, and resting. They need
protected areas not just for their survival, but also for their
recovery as a species. Under the Federal Endangered Species Act,
the Service is charged with the duty not only to protect endangered
species like the manatees, but also to coordinate their recovery.
In addition, these areas would protect far more than manatees. Many
other endangered and threatened marine creatures would also be protected
in these refuges and sanctuaries. Shore birds and fish could
all thrive in these areas.
To establish sanctuaries and refuges, the service must take comments
from the public -- to find out how much support there is for setting
aside these protected areas. The deadline for their receiving
the comments is October 16, 2000.
Everyone needs to help. You can fax, or send a letter, send an email,
or even fill out a postcard, saying that you support the proposal
to designate manatee refuges and sanctuaries. Tell the Service that
the future of the manatee depends on the adoption and implementation
of a comprehensive system of sanctuaries and refuges throughout
their range. Now¯s our chance, we can¯t afford to miss this opportunity
for stronger manatee protection. Many thanks!
Comments should be addressed to:
Field Supervisor Dave Hankla
Jacksonville Field Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
6620 Southpoint Dr. South, #310 Jacksonville, FL 32216-0958
email: fw4__es__jacksonville@fws.gov
If you want more information about manatees, visit Save the Manatee
Club's website, www.savethemanatee.org, or contact them: SMC, 500
N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751-4458; phone 1-800-432-5646.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON THE LAWSUITS:
A coalition of 19 national, state, and local organizations have
filed two major lawsuits -- one against the federal government and
one against the state government -- charging that the Service, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission have failed to enforce the laws protecting
manatees. The suit attempts to make the agencies enforce the existing
laws, already on the books.
The organizations filing the suits include Save the Manatee Club,
The Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife,
International Wildlife Coalition, U.S. Public Interest Research
Group, Sierra Club, Animal Welfare Institute, International Fund
for Animal Welfare, Citizens Association of Bonita Beach, Responsible
Growth Management Coalition, Environmental Confederation of Southwest
Florida, Florida Audubon Society, Florida Public Interest Research
Group, Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society, Audubon Society of Southwest
Florida, Biscayne Bay Foundation, Florida Defenders of the Environment
(federal suit only), Florida Wildlife Federation (state suit only),
and the Pegasus Foundation.
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Wildlife Advocacy
Project
1601Connecticut Ave, NW #700
Washington, D.C. 20009-1035
Phone: (202) 518-3700
Facsimile (202) 588-5049
E-Mail:WildInfo@WildlifeAdvocacy.org
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