Despite 2011 being one of the deadliest years for Florida manatees on record, a right-wing 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.
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.
EF! DAM
Ecodefense
