The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 26

6B MONDAY APRIL 9 2007 A2 MiamiHeraldcom I THE MIAMI HERALD WILDLIFE protection status may be endangered Boating groups and developers have lobbied for weakening some rules meant to protect manatees arguing that the population is big enough and has become stable Despite more than 400 deaths in 2006 the manatee would lose its endangered species protection under a new US draft plan BY PETER WHORISKEY Washington Post Service The manatee imperiled environmental icon last year suffered its most dis mal year on record Of a population of about '3200 416 died in 2006 the highest number of deaths recorded in 30 years of statistics Many died in collisions with boat propellers Now according to an internal memo the US Fish and Wildlife Service has been drafting plans under which the celebrated marine mammals would lose their protection as an endangered species The Miami Herald reported in June 2006 that the seven-member Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had approved the manatee in a unanimous vote and that the US Fish and Wildlife Service was in the process of reevaluating that designation All seven members of the commission were appointed by then-Gov Jeb Bush The planned reclassification of the slow-moving sea cows from to is expected to elicit a barrage of criticism from environmental groups who see it as a part of the Bush push to poke holes in the Endangered Species Act WRONG The new status would make it easier to loosen boating speed limits and restrictions on waterfront development that have been instituted to make Florida safe for the species environmental leaders said is absolutely the wrong time to down-list said Patrick Rose executive director of the Save the Manatee Club and an aquatic (M? sm cial refuge for manatees because they release warm water that hundreds of manatees have come to rely on in winter months is also considered a potentially catastrophic event BOATING LOBBY Boating groups and devel- opers have lobbied for weakening some rules meant to protect manatees arguing that the population is big enough and has become stable would hope that instead of using the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protect Act as devices to limit the growth of boating in according to a letter from lobbyist Wade Hopping we would focus on a plan that would calculate with scientific certainty how many manatees Florida waters can' support and proceed to-develop a system to ensure that that number of healthy manatees share the waters of the state with responsible The coming dispute over the manatees will revolve around whether the current population is large enough and will continue to be stable A 2006 Florida Fish and Wildlife study used by the state panel that recommended down-listing the species predicted the population could drop about 30 percent over the next three generations are many people working in the field for the-US Fish and Wildlife Service who would agree this is not the time to down-list the said Rose of the Save the Manatee Club hope is that the administration will lis- change? He deferred comment about the matter until the review is released Environmental groups are already critical of the move entered the witching hour of the Bush administration where there are going to be frantic lame-duck attempts to do under the table what they cannot pass through said Jeff Ruch executive director of PEER an environmental group that obtained the memo The Florida manatees and the legal protections for them have been the subject of a years-long battle pitting environmentalists against some Florida developers and boating groups While the animals enter other states during the summer nearly all of them winter in Florida MAKING A COMEBACK By all accounts the Florida manatee population has increased since the 1970s The imposition of boating speed limits or wake is believed to have reduced collisions At the same time development restrictions helped limit construction in manatee habitats But the species continues to face threats from increased boating traffic red tide outbreaks and waterfront development The planned closure of some coastal power plants which have become an artifi- biologist who served as the first federal manatee coordinator terrible thing is while the last year for manatees was bad the future could be even According to the memo sent from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to the White House the agency was going to say that the manatee longer meets the definition of an endangered Florida manatees are exhibiting positive growth rates and high adult survival rates along the entire East Coast and in the Northwest the memo said is still uncertainty about the status of manatees in the Southwest region of the FIVE-YEAR REVIEW The agency had reached those conclusions after completing a five-year review of manatees But an agency spokesman while confirming that the recommendation in the memo dated March 26 reflected the thinking at the time said it was possible it might be altered by the time the review is released later this month it gets final signatures on it it could said Chuck Underwood a spokesman with the Jacksonville office is an internal document Is it the way going at the time? Yes Is it also possible it could ymjsswsm THE MUSEUM OF THiNKISM Anotner way Honda International University makes Earth more interesting SpoEisnn'd by the ffiiami HrralD Miami River Commission rA iNotice'ofRublicWorkshopl KEY BISCAYNE Man killed: by water scooter NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public workshop will be held by the Miami River Commission (MRC) and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) at: Robert King High New Board Room 1 407 NW 7 Street Miami Florida Friday April 13 2007 at 10:30 am to consider the following: Creation of Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation to assess transportation conditions along the Miami River Corridor from NW 36th Street to Biscayne Bay Summarize planned improvements Recommend new projects to improve access and mobility along the Miami River Evaluate the river as a potential Strategic Intermodal System facility Inquiries concerning this workshop should be directed to the Miami River Commission at (305) 644-0544 or miamiriverbellsouthnet T0WN OF BAY HARBOR ISLANDS ELECTION NOTICE At 10:00 am on Thursday April 12 2007 the Town of Bay Harbor Islands Canvassing Board will publicly test the tabulation equipment to be used in the April 17 2007 Bay Harbor Islands General Election as provided by Section 1 01 561 2 Florida Statutes The test will be held at the Miami Dade County Elections Department office located at 2700 NW 87th Avenue Miami Florida At 7:00 pm on Tuesday April 17 2007 in the Council Chambers at the Town Hall 2nd Floor 9665 Bay Harbor Terrace Bay Harbor Islands Florida valid absentee ballots will be open and canvassing of the presumed invalid absentee ballots and provisional ballots cast will take place All proceedings will be open to the public Marlene Marante Town Clerk A man died Sunday after he was struck by a water scooter off Key Biscayne during a busy holiday weekend on the water The victim about 25 years old was in an inner tube pulled by a water scooter when another water scooter hit him Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt Eddy Ballester said The victim knocked unconscious was dragged to shore by onlookers A police officer and nurse administered first aid as paramedics were called Ballester said The man died at Jackson Memorial Hospital Harry Palma the driver of the water scooter that struck the man was arrested according to Miami Herald news partner WFOR-CBS 4 He was charged with trying to flee from the scene EVAN BENN What People CITY OF HOMESTEAD PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Homestead proposes to adopt the following Ordinances: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HOMESTEAD FLORIDA GRANTING THE REQUEST OF CAMPBELL STORAGE LLC FOR A REZONING FROM RESTRICTED RETAIL DISTRICT (B-1) TO RETAIL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT (B-2) FURTHER APPROVING SITE PLAN APPROVAL FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 134075 SQUARE FOOT SELF-STORAGE FACILITY LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 312 STREET (CAMPBELL DRIVE) AND EAST OF SW AVENUE AS LEGALLY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HOMESTEAD FLORIDA AMENDING THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING CHAPTER 30 ARTICLE IV DISTRICT DIVISION 2 STREET SECTION 30-433 STREET PARKING AREA REQUIREMENTS IN ALL ESTABLISH NEW STANDARDS FOR SELF-SERVICE STORAGE FACILITIES PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HOMESTEAD FLORIDA GRANTING THE REQUEST OF SAN REMO HOMES LLC FOR A REZONING FROM AGRICULTURAL USE (AU) TO ONE-FAMILY DISTRICT (R-1) AND FURTHER GRANTING SITE PUN AND TENTATIVE PUT (T-PUT) APPROVAL FOR A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF 30 SINGLE-FAMILY UNITS ON APPROXIMATELY 645 ACRES LOCATED EAST OF SW AVENUE (FARM LIFE SCHOOL ROAD) NORTH OF SW 320 STREET (M0WRY DRIVE) AND NORTHWEST OF THE HOMESTEAD EXTENSION OF THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE (HEFT) AS LEGALLY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE Public Hearing of the City Council on the reading of the Ordinances will be held on Monday April 16 2007 at 700 pm in the City Council Chambers located at 790 Homestead Boulevard Homestead Flonda Both of these are regular scheduled meetings The proposed Ordinances may be Inspected by the public at the office of the City Clerk 790 Homestead Boulevard Homestead Florida between the hours of 8:00 am to 500 pm Monday thru Friday Interested parties may appear at the Public Hearing and be heard with respect to the proposed Ordinances Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations In order to participate in this public hearing should contact the Office of the City Clerk at 790 Homestead Boulevard Homestead Flonda telephone number (305) 224-4442 not later than one business day prior to such proceedings If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter considered at a meeting or hearing that person will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record ot the proceedings is made which Includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based SHEIU PAUL SHEDD CMC CITY CLERK FLORIDA LOTTERY Jackpot for Lotto up to $33M From Herald Staff and Wire Reports TALLAHASSEE No ticket matched all six Lotto numbers Saturday night rolling the $25 million jackpot up to $33 million for drawing the Florida Lottery said Sunday Lotto number? were 6 9 21 29 40 and 52 The smaller Lotto prizes: 136 tickets matched five numbers to win $5027 7780 tickets matched four numbers for $71 159527 tickets matched three numbers for $450 Meanwhile a Fantasy 5 ticket sold in Lauderdale Lakes was one of three to hit all five Fantasy 5 numbers Saturday night and is worth $9950214 the lottery said Fantasy 5 numbers were 6 8 9 13 and 2L The Lauderdale Lakes ticket was sold at the Stop Shop convenience store at 3991 NW 41st In annual salary roundup peck into the pockets of people across the country and see how your paycheck measures up Plus find out if you are working too hard and how to change your career when you feel trapped by a job you like I rv tjiiifUi in.