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PANAMA CITY CRAYFISH MANAGEMENT PLAN
DISCUSSED AT DEC. 13 MEETING
December 7, 2006
CONTACT: Dr. John Himes (850) 265-3676
David Cook (850) 410-0656
Stakeholders are invited to attend a meeting
Wednesday, Dec. 13, to discuss the elements needed in a draft
management plan for the Panama City crayfish, which is on the
state’s imperiled species list.
The meeting, hosted by the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), will be from 6 to 9 p.m.
in the Panama City-Bay County International Airport conference
room.
The Panama City crayfish is listed as a species
of special concern by the FWC, but the agency has determined the
species should be reclassified as threatened. In June 2006, FWC
staff was directed to develop a management plan for the Panama
City crayfish prior to its reclassification.
Staff is seeking information from anyone with an
interest in protecting and those who would be impacted by the
protection of the Panama City crayfish. The ideas from this
meeting will be incorporated into a draft management plan, which
outlines what protections will be necessary to provide the best
habitat management for the crayfish. The draft management plan
is expected to be released in late February or early March for
the first opportunity for general public comment.
When FWC Commissioners accept a final management
plan for the crayfish, the species will then be reclassified as
threatened. That could happen as early as the summer of 2007.
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