Protect ENDANGERED Manatees!
- by: A concerned citizen
- recipient: Florida Governer Charlie Crist and Florida House and Senate
The Leeward, LLC property is just downstream from the Florida Power and Light (FPL) plant%u2019s warm water discharge, which has attracted nearly 500 manatees to its warm waters during the coldest winter days. Leeward is trying to turn a dilapidated and predominantly unusable boating facility into a bustling marina. This basin is not just a travel corridor but a critically important manatee habitat component. In fact, hundreds of manatees on a single day have been counted resting in the passive warm-water basin that would become the marina. HUNDREDS OF MANATEES WINTER IN THESE WATERS AND IT WILL NO LONGER BE SAFE FOR THEM ANYWHERE!
Dear Governor Crist,
The Leeward project will place endangered manatees in Southwest Florida at an unacceptable risk for boat-related harassment, injury, and death. The proposed project would be situated on the Orange River, just downstream from the primary warm water discharge of Florida Power and Light Company's plant, which can attract nearly 500 manatees to its warm waters on a single cold day. The basin that will house Leeward, LLC is used by manatees year-round and has experienced minimal boat traffic for decades because a majority of the existing facilities are unsafe and unusable. Now, Leeward plans to turn this dilapidated boating facility into a bustling marina.
You can see photos of the large numbers of manatees using the refuge at http://www.savethemanatee.org/ta_leeward_photos.html.
I am asking that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) evaluate the criteria utilized to evaluate development projects for the Army Corps of Engineers under the section 7 consultation process of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The permitting of the Leeward, LLC development indicates that the current review criteria are flawed, because this project poses serious threats to manatees. The Service failed to thoroughly assess the available information on manatee habitat use, vessel traffic, and the potential impact on manatees and their habitat, despite the recommendations of the Marine Mammal Commission.
To improve the consultation process, the Service should reevaluate the manatee%u2019s designated critical habitat, and define constituent elements of that habitat. Despite the importance of the Orange River for manatees, it is not even designated as critical habitat. No constituent elements, such as warm water, fresh water, or food sources are designated for any manatee critical habitat, which seriously compromises the effectiveness of the critical habitat designation. The ESA requires review of federal projects to ensure that they don%u2019t jeopardize critical habitat, but this review is only effective if sufficient and appropriate critical habitat has been designated. The Service acknowledged in the 2001 Florida Manatee Recovery Plan that reassessment of critical habitat was warranted for the species, based on the availability of new information, but no reassessment was ever undertaken.
It is time to update the manatee%u2019s designated critical habitat and define constituent elements within that habitat. Perhaps a critical habitat designation for the Orange River would have prevented the Leeward project from being permitted, by fully recognizing the site as a source of shelter, and as a travel corridor. The permitting of the Leeward facility provides proof that the quality of the section 7 consultation process must be improved. Proper critical habitat designation and consideration would be an important step in improving this process.
the above paragraph is from the Save the Manatee Club website but i have something of my own to add. you have done a good job of protection manatees so far and i have 478 signatures that show that people care about these animals and none of them would be happy with you if you stopped now.
Thank you for your consideration.
paragraph above provided by the Save the Mantatee Club and me katherine wolf
While the original and commendable goal of CS/HB 7059 was to better protect seagrass, an amendment made to Section 1 of this bill provides for the establishment of seagrass mitigation banks on state-owned lands. Allowing private companies to sell mitigation credits to developers undermines the very protections that the seagrass bill was intended to secure. Such buying and selling of this critically important resource will threaten the health and ecological function of seagrass ecosystems throughout Florida. Furthermore, this provision will set a precedent that other Governors and Attorney Generals of Florida have rejected.
Under Florida%u2019s Constitution, conveyances of sovereignty lands are allowed %u201Conly when in the public interest.%u201D Florida%u2019s seagrass beds are some of the most productive ecological communities on earth. They provide habitat for large populations of invertebrates and fish, and provide the richest nurseries and feeding grounds in Florida's coastal waters. Destruction of this vitally important habitat for the purpose of facilitating yet more coastal development does not and cannot meet the public interest test set forth in the Florida Constitution.
Florida%u2019s sovereignty submerged lands should be held in trust for all the people of the state, and not allocated for private use, particularly if that use will facilitate destruction of other areas.
Therefore, I am asking you to veto CS/HB 7059 so that a new seagrass bill, which will protect all of Florida%u2019s seagrass, can be developed during next year%u2019s Florida%u2019s legislative session. (this letter provided by: Save the manatee club)
Bill CS/HB 7059 has recently been passed by Florida House and Senate. This bill will threaten seagrass which is a highly important food source for ENDANGERED manatees. This bill will allow companies to construct marinas, boating channels, and other facilities therefore destroying seagrass. Seagrass beds are some of the most productive ecological communities on Earth and provide a major food source for manatees, and also provide nurseries and feeding grounds for other fish and wildlife. This petition will hopefully also prevent other bills FURTHER ENDANGERING manatees and our ecosystem in the future.
This petition will also help to continually inform Governer Crist that there are many factors endangering manatees. The number one killer of manatees are boat collisions due to careless boaters going to fast. Manatees also die to pollution, red tide, ingestion of fish hooks, and crab lines.
As someone who has shown strong support for the protection of manatees and their habitat, I am asking you to veto CS/HB 7059, which recently passed the Florida Legislature.
While the original and commendable goal of CS/HB 7059 was to better protect seagrass, an amendment made to Section 1 of this bill provides for the establishment of seagrass mitigation banks on state-owned lands. Allowing private companies to sell mitigation credits to developers undermines the very protections that the seagrass bill was intended to secure. Such buying and selling of this critically important resource will threaten the health and ecological function of seagrass ecosystems throughout Florida. Furthermore, this provision will set a precedent that other Governors and Attorney Generals of Florida have rejected.
Under Florida%u2019s Constitution, conveyances of sovereignty lands are allowed %u201Conly when in the public interest.%u201D Florida%u2019s seagrass beds are some of the most productive ecological communities on earth. They provide habitat for large populations of invertebrates and fish, and provide the richest nurseries and feeding grounds in Florida's coastal waters. Destruction of this vitally important habitat for the purpose of facilitating yet more coastal development does not and cannot meet the public interest test set forth in the Florida Constitution.
Florida%u2019s sovereignty submerged lands should be held in trust for all the people of the state, and not allocated for private use, particularly if that use will facilitate destruction of other areas.
Therefore, I am asking you to veto CS/HB 7059 so that a new seagrass bill, which will protect all of Florida%u2019s seagrass, can be developed during next year%u2019s Florida%u2019s legislative session. (this letter provided by: Save the manatee club)signature
goal: 1,000
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