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.
Dear Governor Crist,
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)
