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Tuesday, January 9, 2001 Saving manatees means making tough decisionsNews-Journal Editorial So far, manatees are having a pretty good year. The endangered animals won enhanced federal protection last week in a settlement of a federal lawsuit. Gov. Jeb Bush wants to spend an extra $9 million in the coming budget year to protect them. Manatees have probably gained more ground in the first week of 2001 than during the past several years combined.
But it´s not enough. Florida´s manatee population still hovers at dangerously low levels, and death rates aren´t showing significant improvement. With less than 3,000 still left in the wild, a few bad years for manatees could drive the gentle giants over the brink into extinction. And the threats could come from any angle: cold, disease, speeding boats - and politicians. It´s always been clear what the manatees need to recover. This year, Florida will face a defining test of its ability to meet that need. The framework is already in place; now, the state has to find the political will to use it. An important part of that framework is the federal settlement agreed to last week. Under its terms, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be forced to act more responsibly when permitting marinas, docks and boat slips. The settlement also calls for several marine “sanctuaries” around the state where no boat traffic will be permitted, as well as refuges where water activity will be limited to protect the manatees. Defining these areas will require a strong spirit of cooperation among local, state and federal agencies. Unfortunately, that cooperation hasn´t always been available. Many counties - including Volusia County - are still dragging their heels over local manatee protection plans. Manatees are still hurt and killed in collisions with speeding boats, both pleasure craft and the larger commercial vessels. Bush´s budget request includes $7 million for education, and establishing refuges and sanctuaries. He also proposes to spend $2 million to beef up boat-speed enforcement on Florida´s waterways. The state Legislature should follow Bush´s lead on this issue when it writes the budget. Bush is also recommending a $3.5 million allocation to help clean up and protect freshwater springs, a move that would indirectly help manatees that love to collect in spring runs during the winter. Other action won´t be as easy. The biggest challenge before the state is another lawsuit filed against it by the same groups that settled last week with the federal government. In it, the groups charge Florida´s government is violating the federal Endangered Species Act by failing to take aggressive action to protect the manatees. The settlement of the federal suit should lead the way for the same thing to happen at the state level - and environmental groups shouldn´t settle for anything less than they won last week. Perhaps the most important victory will be when state officials realize what this - and other endangered-species battles - is really about. These vanishing reminders of old Florida are slowly being driven out by encroaching development. Stopping the growth may not be possible, but it´s important for officials at all levels of government to manage it so the impact on Florida´s environment is minimized. In the long run, what´s good for the manatees - along with the panthers, eagles and sea turtles - will be good for Florida. It´s important for our leaders to remember that. |
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