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FWC moving ahead with species
reclassifications
June 13, 2007
Contact: Henry Cabbage (850) 528-1755
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) voted Wednesday to move ahead with
reclassification of four imperiled species.
Concerning the peregrine falcon, Commissioners
agreed to a staff proposal to assemble a biological review panel
to evaluate whether the bird warrants reclassification from its
endangered species status. The review is the first phase in the
reclassification process. The scientists who will conduct the
review include James A. Rodgers of the FWC, Brian A. Millsap of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ken Meyer of Avian
Research and Conservation Institute in Gainesville.
Commissioners also voted to proceed with the
final phase of the process to reclassify manatees from
endangered to threatened, gopher tortoises from species of
special concern to threatened, and Panama City crayfish from
species of special concern to threatened. The final action will
be adoption of a management plan for each species, and that will
take place at a future FWC meeting, possibly in September except
for the crayfish, which may happen early next year. |
