First, they went after the manatees...

[Baitball Blogger]

Group seeks to remove manatee's endangered status

A conservative legal foundation filed a petition with the federal government Friday to strip the manatee of its status as an endangered species, challenging protections that have prevented the construction of docks and led to slow-speed zones along Florida's rivers and canals.

The Pacific Legal Foundation, a California-based organization with a Florida office in Stuart, says the manatee's status should be altered from "endangered" to "threatened," a change that would not result in any immediate decline in protection. But the foundation said it could be a step toward removing it from the protected list completely, reflecting its increase in numbers.

The foundation represents Save Crystal River Inc., a group of Citrus County business owners who oppose federal restrictions, which they say harms the local economy.

Alan DeSerio, managing attorney of the foundation's Stuart office, said a 2007 review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the manatee's prospects had improved to the point that it no longer met the endangered standard. But the agency took no action.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/fl-manatee-endangered-petition-20121214,0,236930.story

[Indydem]

1. Um, isn't this exactly what we want to hear?

The fact that our preservation actions have made such progress in protecting these animals is a cause for celebration - not necessarily a reason for such pessimism.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Considering that manatees are mostly a Florida species, they're going to

have a battle on their hands. My first question was, why is this group in California giving a damn about an animal that exists in Florida?

Generally, those who oppose the protected status are boaters because they get tickets for speeding in manatee areas. I don't know if downgrading the status will affect those areas.