Take Action for Manatees!

Help Protect Florida’s State Aquatic Preserves
Ask Governor Crist and Secretary Sole to
Protect This Prime Habitat for Manatees

The Issue:

Great news! In a very crucial budget year, Save the Manatee Club was able to preserve full funding for the state’s manatee rescue and rehabilitation programs – over $1 million – in the final days of Florida’s Legislative Session, thanks to your support and action! Without this vital funding, many manatees injured by boats or sick from the effects of red tide would not be rescued and would be left on their own to suffer and die.

Working with a strong coalition of environmental and wildlife organizations, we were successful at stopping or amending most of the worst proposals. We helped to prevent state park budget cuts that would have resulted in park closures and less staff to manage state-owned land, pass legislation for seagrass protection, and maintained funding for Florida’s premier land-buying program, Florida Forever. Although funding fell far short for this program, the Legislature passed a $4 million appropriation to issue bonds for $250 million worth of land. Unfortunately, a good proposal for the protection of Florida’s priceless springs did not get passed.

But we can’t stop there. We need your immediate help to safeguard natural resources and water quality within Florida’s State Aquatic Preserves, many of which are prime habitat for manatees.

What You Can Do:

1. Add your information below to send an email to Florida Governor Charlie Crist and the Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Michael Sole, asking them to prevent staffing cuts to the Aquatic Preserves program.

2. Please donate now so we can continue our work to protect manatees and their habitat.

3. Stay tuned for further updates regarding bills that may need vetoes.

Thank you for your help and support!

May 24, 2013

Subject:
Protect Aquatic Preserves Program

Dear Governor Crist and Secretary Sole

I am writing today to ask that you take action to safeguard natural resources and water quality within Florida's State Aquatic Preserves by preventing staffing cuts or office closures to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Aquatic Preserves program.  These Aquatic Preserves provide protected habitat for Florida's unique marine species while still allowing recreational and commercial fishing opportunities and tourism.  It is the health of these areas, achieved through their protection, that makes them so economically valuable.  Jobs in the fishing and tourism industries are reliant upon the existence and viability of these preserves, and in order to protect these jobs, we must protect the Aquatic Preserves and their staff.  Manatees also inhabit the Aquatic Preserves and benefit from their protection.

Aquatic Preserve offices provide valuable scientific and educational services to the community and Aquatic Preserve staff serve as stewards for the aquatic environment.Closure of these offices would eliminate services including scientific monitoring, resource protection and restoration, permitting assistance, volunteer coordination, emergency response and cleanup, education and outreach activities, and coordination with other agencies on potential impacts to these sites from adjacent alterations of habitats. These Preserves are simply too important to our state's economy and natural resources to allow any reduction in staffing that would compromise their protection.  While closure of Aquatic Preserve offices and elimination of staff may be viewed as a money-saving measure, the truth is that the long-term costs of losing these offices and the services they provide will have long-term negative economic impacts that will far outweigh any short-term economic gains.

Thank you for your consideration of my comments.

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