Press Releases
Filter by Program:
Viewing recent news releases in program Florida and Caribbean Region .
Miami-Dade Mayor’s Office Recommends Canceling Miami Wilds Deal
MIAMI— The Miami-Dade County Mayor’s office issued a memorandum today recommending that the county commissioners rescind the development lease agreement with Miami Wilds LLC for a proposed water park development in an environmentally sensitive area at Zoo Miami.
Read more.Manatees Move Toward Restored Endangered Species Safeguards
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Responding to a formal petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity, Harvard Animal Law & Policy Clinic, Miami Waterkeeper, Save the Manatee Club and Frank S. González García, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that reclassifying the West Indian manatee from threatened to endangered may be warranted.
Read more.Diminutive Florida Snake to Receive Federal Endangered Species Protection
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Following a 2012 petition and lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to list the short-tailed snake as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also announced its intent to propose protections for the snake’s critical habitat.
Read more.Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Moves Toward World Heritage List
ATLANTA— Following widespread bipartisan support, the National Park Service announced today that it will nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to join the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage List.
Read more.Miami Cave Crayfish to Receive Endangered Species Act Protections
MIAMI— Following a legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to list the Miami cave crayfish as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also announced its intent to propose protections for the crayfish’s critical habitat.
Read more.Miami-Dade Commissioners to Vote on Future of Miami Wilds Development
MIAMI— Following a lawsuit filed by conservation groups, the Board of County Commissioners for Miami-Dade County will meet Wednesday, Sept. 6, to vote on the future of the Miami Wilds theme park, retail, hotel and parking lot development. The development threatens several endangered species and their critical habitat on and around the proposed project area.
Read more.Pillar Coral Proposed for Increased Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service proposed today to change the status of the pillar coral, a species found in Florida waters and elsewhere in the Caribbean, from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal is based on population declines and susceptibility to a recently emerged coral disease, according to the Service.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Denial of Endangered Species Protection to Gopher Tortoise
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Nokuse Education, Inc. sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying Endangered Species Act protections to gopher tortoises across most of their range. The decision left the imperiled reptiles without lifesaving federal safeguards in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and most of Alabama.
Read more.Threatened Caribbean Corals Receive Critical Habitat Protections
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service announced critical habitat designations today for five species of Caribbean corals. The agency’s final rule protects 6,500 square miles of marine habitat in Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Navassa Island and the Flower Gardens Banks in the Gulf of Mexico.
Read more.Critical Habitat Protection Proposed for Green Sea Turtles
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— In response to a legal agreement with environmental groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries today proposed to designate roughly 8,850 acres of beaches and nearly 428,000 square miles of coastal waters as protected critical habitat for six distinct populations of green sea turtles.
Read more.Small Florida Fish Is Endangered Species Act Success
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today removed a small Florida fish called the Okaloosa darter from the endangered species list because it has recovered. After decades of conservation work, the tiny fish is no longer in danger of extinction.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Speed Endangered Species Protection for Ghost Orchid
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.— The Institute for Regional Conservation, the Center for Biological Diversity and the National Parks Conservation Association notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today of their intent to sue the agency for delaying critically needed Endangered Species Act protection for the ghost orchid.
Read more.