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ESAblawg is an educational effort by Keith W. Rizzardi. View Keith Rizzardi's profile on LinkedIn Photos or links may be copyrighted (but used with permission) otherwise ESAblawg is published with a Creative Commons License.

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Keith Who?

Keith W. Rizzardi is an attorney, board certified by The Florida Bar in State & Federal Government & Administrative Practice. An alumnus of the U.S. Department of Justice wildlife section, he is currently a lawyer for the South Florida Water Management District, a member of NOAA's Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, and Chair of The Florida Bar Government Lawyer Section.

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florida gators... never threatened!

If you ain't a Gator, you will be, because gator blood looks like our pharmaceutical future. Click here to read the relevant ESA musing.gatorlogo2.gif

Thanks, Kevin.

KEVIN S. PETTITT helped found this blawg. A D.C.-based IT consultant specializing in Lotus Notes & Domino, he also maintains Lotus Guru blog.

Contributors

PETE DAVID (Albuquerque, NM). Pete is a Certified Wildlife Biologist with 25 years experience with land stewardship and natural resources programs. He previously worked with the South Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). His project experience includes reintroducing the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker to South Florida, and the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program in New Mexico. Today, Pete continues to work on endangered species issues as a Senior Project Manager for SWCA Environmental Consultants in Albuquerque.

YELIZAVETA BATRES (West Palm Beach, FL). Liz is currently clerking at the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal, after graduating from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she was a senior research editor of the Law Review. Liz also interned at the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division.

« NOAA extends comment period on status review for Oregon Coast coho salmon ESU | Main| FWS proposes critical habitat for two Oregon plants »

NOAA considering petition to review critical habitat for elkhorn and staghorn coral

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74 Fed. Reg. 36995 /Vol. 74, No. 142 /Monday, July 27, 2009 / Proposed Rules
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / 50 CFR Part 226 / Listing Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Designating Critical Habitat; 90–day Finding for a Petition to Revise Designated Critical Habitat for Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals
ACTION: Notice of petition finding; request for information and comments.

SUMMARY: We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce a 90–day finding for a petition to revise elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals’ critical habitat under the Endangered Species  Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. Elkhorn and staghorn corals are listed as threatened throughout their ranges and have designated critical habitat consisting of substrate of suitable quality and availability to support larval settlement and recruitment and the reattachment and recruitment of asexual fragments in water depths shallower than 30 meters in four areas in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The petition seeks to extend the northern boundary of designated critical habitat in the Florida area to the Lake Worth Inlet, approximately 15.5 miles (24.9 km) north of  the current boundary at Boynton Beach Inlet. We find that the petition presents substantial scientific information that the revision may be warranted. We are soliciting information and comments pertaining to this request for revision of critical habitat. DATES: Written comments and information related to this petition finding or the petitioned action must be received ee ADDRESSESby August 26, 2009.

staghorncoral.jpg
Photo of staghorn coral from the politics of green.  KEITHINKING: bloggers do make a difference.  Congratz to the politics of green.

Comments

1 - Thanks Keith for posting my photo.
The shot was taken on the NW coast of Puerto Rico.
The shot has inspired Reef Check (Global) and local PR's to get involved with reef conservation and monitoring (sky is the limit), their campaign is growing daily.. Great job Puerto Rico.

As for the petition, awesome.. Please extend the Critical Habitat designation for Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals to the Lake Worth Inlet.
At least until further research can be done.
I encourage you to speak up about this measure, please.

Cordially,
William Djubin
Founder
EarthRehab

2 - It is very important to take action on this! I hope that people will speak up,and the saddest thing about this, is that they KNOW how important it is and it shouldn't even be a question to revise ELkhorn and Staghorn Corals to the Lake Worth Inlet.

3 - Many thanks to Reef Rescue of the Palm Beaches and Ed Tichenor for drafting the petition, it is available to sign here.
{ Link }

Thanks.

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