Don't Downlist the Florida Manatee

Dear Governor Bush,

Please do not allow the manatee to be downlisted from its current endangered status in Florida. The state has changed the criteria so that a species would have to be near extinction to get the highest protection. The population is far from stable, with serious declines in some regions.

Last year was the second highest manatee mortality year on record. Just in the last five years, 1,682 manatees have died from all causes in Florida waters. That is almost an 18% increase over the previous five-year period. Also, in the last five years, 398 manatees were killed by boats. That’s a 17% increase over the previous five-year period. Furthermore, state scientists estimate the manatee population could drop by half in the next 50 years because of habitat loss, red tide poisoning and boat collisions. The population is far from stable.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been lobbied hard by developers, boaters and others who maintain that the manatee protection rules are too restrictive and, now that the population is showing signs of recovery, unnecessary. That's like saying that because the number of teenage smokers is going down, the government should relax its efforts to keep teens from picking up the habit. Why mess with success?

[your comment here]

Governor Bush, you once called the manatee your favorite animal. Please do all you can to keep full protections for the manatee intact.

Sincerely,

[your name]
[your address]