Wildlife Groups Ask Feds To Revise Critical Habitat Zones For Manatees

Conservation groups are petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revise the boundaries of critical habitat for the endangered Florida manatee in Southwest Florida.

The new boundaries are part of a statewide proposal to update the critical habitat designation for the manatee for the first time in more than 30 years.

“It’s an oversight that needs to be corrected, and we’re hoping it will make a difference,” said manatee biologist Patti Thompson, the principal author of the petition.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has 90 days after receiving the petition to decide whether to move forward with a public review of proposed revisions.

The agency recognizes the need for updated critical habitat boundaries but has higher priorities when it comes to manatee protection, such as preserving warm water refuges, Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Chuck Underwood said.