---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2005 15:32:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Save the Manatee Club <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: Save the Manatee Club
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]
.org>
To: Alan Sondheim <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: State Proposal Threatens Blue Spring Manatees
STATE PROPOSAL THREATENS OUR
MANATEES AT BLUE SPRING
Comments Needed by January 15, 2006
Hi Alan,
Blue Spring State Park is the winter refuge to well over 140
manatees (including Save the Manatee Club's adoptees Whiskers,
Howie, Nick, and Dana), and is one of only two places in the
state where the manatee population actually appears to be
increasing. Blue Spring is one of the very few natural warm
water refuges remaining in Florida for manatees.
The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) has been
tasked with assigning a "minimum flow" by state rule for Blue
Spring. The most recently revised SJRWMD proposal and supporting
report still show that their proposed "minimum flow" would allow
spring flow to be reduced by at least 15%, which will reduce the
currently available warm water refuge area for manatees by at
least 35% (from 348 feet to 218 feet) under severe conditions.
In addition, the SJRWMD proposal still doesn't require the flow
to be restored to present levels until the year 2024. Less flow
from the spring means less warm water available for manatees and
more cold water moving up the spring run from the St. Johns River.
Save the Manatee Club believes no reduction in flow should be
authorized and that historic flow levels should be restored.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
-If you live in Florida, please attend the public workshop on
December 6 in Deltona (see information below).
-For more information on this issue, or if you can't attend the
workshop, please click here to send an online letter
http://www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=8
-If you would like to send a personalized letter, e-mail, or fax,
please see contact information below.
DIRECTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION:
FLORIDA RESIDENTS: Please attend the public workshop on December 6,
2005 in Deltona at the time and location listed below. We need as
many people as possible to attend the hearing and speak out for
better protection of Blue Spring, the most important manatee warm
water refuge on the St. Johns River.
We will also need your attendance at the SJRWMD Governing Board
Meeting tentatively set for early February.
Blue Spring Minimum Flow Public Workshop
City of Deltona Commission Chambers
2345 Providence Blvd.,
Deltona, FL 32725
December 6, 2005, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Phone: (386) 561-2100
(see driving directions at the end of this e-mail)
IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND, OR FOR THOSE LIVING OUTSIDE OF FLORIDA, AND
WANT TO SEND A PERSONALIZED LETTER, FAX, OR E-MAIL:
Please contact Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the SJRWMD Governing
Board chairman and tell them the proposal is unacceptable and that
the SJRWMD should adopt a minimum average flow for Blue Spring at
NO LESS THAN THE CURRENT MEAN ANNUAL FLOW (156.6 cfs), with a
long-term goal of recovering the historic flow. Written, faxed or
e-mail comments will be accepted through January 15, 2006. If you
e-mail, be sure to put "SAY NO TO DISTRICT'S BLUE SPRING PROPOSAL"
in your subject line.
IN ADDITION, please write, e-mail or fax Sam Hamilton, SE Regional
Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Secretary
Colleen Castille of the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection. Urge the Service to maintain their past position that
supports keeping the spring's flow at current levels with no
reduction at all, as to do otherwise will result in an incidental
"take" of manatees (including habitat alteration and reduced carrying
capacity, injury, or death) under the Endangered Species Act and the
Marine Mammal Protection Act and impair the recovery of manatees.
Urge the Florida DEP to take the responsibility for setting minimum
flows (at current levels) at Blue Spring State Park if the SJRWMD
is unwilling to do so.
Contact Information:
Governor Jeb Bush
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fax: 850-487-0801
David G. Graham
(request your comments be distributed to
all Governing Board members)
Chairman, SJRWMD Governing Board
4049 Reid Street
Palatka, FL 32177
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fax: 386-329-4125
Norma K. Messer
(please copy her on your letter to Chairman Graham)
Rules Coordinator, SJRWMD Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 1429
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fax: 386-329-4485
Colleen Castille, Secretary
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, M.S. 49
Tallahassee, FL 32399
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fax: 850-245-2128
Sam Hamilton, SE Regional Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1875 Century Blvd., Suite 400
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fax: 404-679-4006
DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO DELTONA CITY HALL:
From I-4 Eastbound:
-Get off at Exit #114 and continue in the far right hand lane.
-This lane will merge onto Howland Blvd.
-Take Howland Blvd approximately 2 miles to Providence Blvd.
-Turn right on Providence and continue for approximately 1 mile.
-City Hall is on the left hand side of the road.
From I-4 Westbound:
-Get off at Exit #114 and turn left at the light onto Howland Blvd.
-Continue on Howland Blvd approximately 2 miles to Providence Blvd.
-Turn right on Providence and continue for approximately 1 mile.
-City Hall is on the left hand side of the road.
For a list of the Blue Spring manatees in our adoption program
and to see photos of the spring, go to:
http://www.savethemanatee.org/adopt_blue_spring.htm
http://www.floridastateparks.org/bluespring/default.cfm
Thank you for helping manatees receive the
strong protection measures they deserve!
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Our postal address is
500 N. Maitland Ave.
Maitland, Florida 32751
United States
ABOUT SMC
Save the Manatee Club is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981
by former Florida Governor Bob Graham and singer Jimmy Buffett.
To learn more about manatees and our work, go to
http://www.savethemanatee.org.
JOIN US!
Adopt-A-Manatee and join Save the Manatee Club. Your
contribution will support our work to help protect endangered
manatees and their habitat. For more information, go to
http://www.savethemanatee.org/adoptpag.htm
PASS IT ALONG
Help spread the word about manatees! Please forward this action
alert to your family and friends. If you got this message from a
friend, sign up to receive our Action Alerts at our Take Action page
at http://www.savethemanatee.org/action.htm
QUESTIONS?
You can get updates on Action Alert issues by visiting the Take
Action page of our web site. If you have additional questions,
e-mail us at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
