FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
10/19/2018
Contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Advances Plan Undermining Florida Panther
Survival and Recovery
South Florida -- Today, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service published a draft Environmental Impact Statement on an
application from real estate developers in southwest Florida for permission to destroy
important habitat for numerous species listed as endangered or threatened under
the federal Endangered Species Act, including the iconic Florida panther, all
for the sake of another housing tract.
Approval of the proposed Eastern Collier
County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan and the associated 50-year take
permits would enable intense mining, residential, and commercial development on
45,000 acres of habitat that is vital to the panther and other imperiled
species including the scrub jay, caracara, wood stork, red cockaded woodpecker,
snail kite, indigo snake, and bonneted bat.
The permits would facilitate construction of tens of thousands of homes,
resulting in greatly increased traffic, roads, and other infrastructure that
would further fragment dwindling panther habitat, obstruct corridors necessary
to movement and recovery, and increase the already grave number of panther
deaths from vehicle collisions.
The proposed development will also
result in impacts to water resources, water supply, and sensitive public lands
adjacent to the plan area.
In exchange for authorization for the
habitat destruction, the applicants propose to leave other areas of nearby habitat
undeveloped. In response, Cris Costello, Sierra Club Organizing Manager stated, “The
trade-offs proposed by the landowners cannot make up for the destruction and
fragmentation of vital habitat. This sweeping authorization for development in
Collier County would undermine the survival and recovery of the Florida panther
and other endangered and threatened species.”
“Pushing this plan forward is another
sad example of the Trump-Zinke Fish and Wildlife Service’s assault on
endangered and threatened species nationwide,” said Karimah Schoenhut, Sierra
Club staff attorney. “This administration has made clear its intention to
weaken protections for imperiled wildlife for the benefit of exploitative
industries.”
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