Articles

Federal court issues mixed decision on jaguar critical habitat challenge

October 26, 2017 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

In 2014, the federal government designated thousands of acres in New Mexico as “critical habitat” for the jaguar. The designation is absurd, because jaguars prefer the wet, tropical climates of Central and South America forests, to the dry, arid wilderness of the Southwest. Few jaguars have ever been found in New Mexico, while thousands ...

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PLF sues to end counterproductive golden parakeet regulations

July 20, 2017 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

Today, PLF filed a lawsuit in federal court to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to obey the law and issue a decision on the American Federation of Aviculture’s petition to remove the golden parakeet from the list of protected species under the Endangered Species Act. The federal government listed the golden parakeet, also … ...

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PLF threatens lawsuit over feds’ failure to revise outdated golden parakeet regulations

April 12, 2017 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

Once again, federal officials have missed a legal deadline required by the Endangered Species Act. PLF just warned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that unless it acts within 60 days on the American Federation of Aviculture’s petition to delist the golden parakeet, we will sue to force action. The federal government’s failure to act ...

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PLF Victory! Feds finally follow the law and reclassify manatee

March 30, 2017 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the final rule to downlist the manatee from endangered to threatened. This comes in response to a nearly five-year battle with PLF to get the federal government to follow its own experts’ advice and the law, and downlist the manatee. But the roots of today’s decision go … ...

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Manatee count shows population continues to grow

February 20, 2017 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) gave cause to celebrate: the manatee population continues to grow in Florida, according to agency’s newest survey results. The FWC today announced it counted 6,620 manatees in its annual survey. Last year the FWC counted 6,250 and in 2015 it counted 6,063 manatees. The FWC conducts the manatee ...

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Federal agency flouts Endangered Species Act again

January 09, 2017 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

Today, PLF sent a warning to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that unless the agency adopts its proposed rule to reclassify the manatee within 60-days, PLF will sue on behalf of Save Crystal River, Inc., to compel downlisting the status of the species from endangered to threatened. It is disappointing, but not surprising that … ...

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Manatee count shows population continues to grow

February 25, 2016 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

The manatee population continues to grow in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s newest survey results. Each winter, when weather conditions permit, the FWC conducts an aerial survey with a team of observers who fly around the state’s warmer waters where manatees typically congregate. Last year, the FWC count ...

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PLF victory! Feds finally act on manatee petition

January 07, 2016 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

It’s taken eight years and two lawsuits to get the government to follow up on its own experts’ recommendation to reclassify the manatee from “endangered” to “threatened.” Today, in response to a PLF Atlantic Center lawsuit on behalf of Save Crystal River, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is fo ...

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PLF sues feds for stalling, again, on manatee petition

September 25, 2015 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

It’s been three years since PLF filed a petition on behalf of Save Crystal River to downlist the manatee from “endangered” to “threatened.” Yet the government has continued to ignore the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, forcing us to again file a lawsuit to compel action. Our petition asked the government to ...