Florida revamps its state endangered species lists

Author:  Damien M. Schiff

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has voted to revamp significantly its state listing program.  The most important changes appear to be that all federally listed species will also be protected under the state law, and all species currently protected by the state will be deemed "threatened."  The inconsistencies between state and federal listings is nothing new; in California, for example, the Delta smelt has been listed as threatened by the feds since 1993, but the state has for long listed the fish as endangered.