Endangering Memo

BRIEFING MEMORANDUM

TO: Sen. Landrieu/ Dr. Pence

FROM: Laura Ciavarro

RE: Endangered Species

DATE: 12/1/2014 Purpose: There are currently 1,563 threatened or endangered species in the United States. This memo will provide information on the Endangered Species Conservation Act and the agencies and organizations that support it. This memo will also discuss endangered and threatened species specific to the southeast and Louisiana. Endangered Species Act

Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966. The act permitted native U.S. species to be listed as endangered and for the limited protection of those animals and their habitats. Through the act, the Secretary of the Interior is able to list fish and wildlife and

Manatees are large, seal-shaped mammals with two flippers and a paddle-like tail. Manatees are normally grey, but some may have discolored patches due to algae growth. Manatees are found in freshwater environments. The West Indian Manatee are known to live in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, as well as other countries outside the United States. The West Indian Manatee was listed as endangered March 11, 1967. Because the manatee was designated as an endangered species prior to enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, there was no formal list identifying threats to the species. Therefore there is no baseline accurately describing the status of manatees at the time of or before listing, which has made recovery processes more challenging. The most significant problem manatee’s face is death or injury from boat strikes and the long-term availability of warm-water refuges. The goal is reclassify the West Indian Manatee as threatened, and eventually removing them from the list. There are at least 4,834 Florida manatees in the world, along with 140 Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico. Both populations are thought to be