LEE COUNTY RULING PUTS MANATEES IN DANGER:
YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP IS NEEDED
THE ISSUE:
A recent ruling by a local Lee County judge has resulted in very serious
lapses in manatee protection in Lee County where more manatees have been
killed by boats in a single year than anywhere else in Florida.
Last year, local boaters purposefully sped through manatee protection
zones, hoping to be ticketed so they could challenge the state rules. Not
only were the defendants found not guilty, the local judge went even
further and invalidated the rules! The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWCC) decided to appeal the case but failed to
file its paperwork on time, so the local appeals court refused to hear the
appeal on its merits. The FWCC has filed an appeal with the District
Court of Appeals (DCA), but until their case is heard, there are no longer
any measures to protect manatees in these important county waters.
For full details, read the article posted on Save the Manatee Club's
website at the following link:
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
While the case is pending, we need to take steps NOW to make sure manatees
are protected.
Please write to Sam Hamilton, SE Regional Director, and Dave Hankla, Field
Supervisor, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask them to
immediately adopt an emergency speed zone rule to take the place of the
state rule that was invalidated. Please also thank them for their
decision not to allow permitting in these areas until protection is
reinstated.
Sam Hamilton, SE Regional Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1875 Century Blvd., Suite 400
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
Fax: 404-679-4006
E-mail:
sam_hamilton@fws.gov
Dave Hankla, Field Supervisor
Jacksonville Field Office
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
6620 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310
Jacksonville, FL 32216
Fax: 904-232-2404
E-mail:
dave_hankla@fws.gov
Thank you! Your help on this important issue can really make a
difference.
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