Trump Administration to Strip Florida Key Deer of Federal Protection

[Beringia]

https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/trump-administration-strip-florida-key-deer-federal-protection-2019-08-14/

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— President Donald Trump’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to strip Endangered Species Act protection from Florida Key deer despite severe and increasing threats from sea-level rise, disease, hurricanes and urban sprawl. A letter from the agency revealed that it intends to delist the Key deer.

The protection removal is likely responding to a directive from Leopoldo Miranda, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast regional director and a Trump appointee. In 2017 Miranda ordered staff to remove or avoid protections for 30 species per year.

“Stripping the Key deer of protections to meet an arbitrary quota is like kicking a critically ill patient out of the emergency room to free up bed space,” said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Refusing to protect imperiled animals because of a weird numbers game utterly contradicts the Endangered Species Act’s purpose. It puts the Florida Key deer and many other species at risk of extinction.”

Seventy-six percent of Key deer habitat is less than 2 feet above sea level. Studies project that most of the Florida Keys will be inundated or drastically altered by the 2 feet of sea-level rise expected by 2050.

Key Deer video
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/487669






The Fish & Wildlife Service is holding a meeting in the Keys next week. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL.

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Wow -- "30 species per year" -- totally arbitrary goal, not based on any facts.

RWNJs are truly sick people.

I heard that the program for reintroducing whooping cranes -- one of the rarest birds in the world -- into the wild lost federal support in 2017.

Key deer are still one of the world's least abundant mammals, even if they are a common sight for Key residents. Removing protected status could finish them off.

[jcgoldie]

2. Republican Rick Wilson said last night on Real Time...

...that the key motivation behind most of this stripping of the endangered species act is just intentional "assholishness" on the part of the Trump admin.

[FakeNoose]

3. Maybe they can swim to Greenland

I hear it's pretty nice up there, and very few tourists.

[dhill926]

4. fuck this shit....

nihilistic assholes. Good chance I'll be living in Key West this time next year, and my voice is definitely gonna be raised about this, and whatever other bullshit they try....

[spanone]

5. ⇧ ⇧ ⇧ ⇧ ⇧ ⇧ ⇧ ⇧⇧ ⇧ 👍🏼

fuck this shit....

[Beringia]

6. 👍🏼 👍🏼 👍🏼

[Corgigal]

7. My daughter and son in law use to live in this area.

They love their little deers. Idiot President doesn't understand this may cause him to lose more votes in an area he must win. I guess he's betting on his stealing devices.

[bobbieinok]

8. ?!?Ordered to remove protection for 30 SPECIES PER YEAR?!?

Trump gang is truly evil!!

'Just pick 30 endangered species per yr, guys!'