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Oppose St. Johns River Water Withdrawals!

Proposed surface water withdrawals threaten manatees and their habitat!

'Save the Manatee Club' online letter: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5215/t/3187/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1359

The St. Johns River was designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an American Heritage River. In 2008, American Rivers, a national conservation organization, called the St. Johns the 6th most endangered river in America.

The Issue:

On April 13th, the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) in Florida will vote on whether to grant a permit to Seminole County to withdraw 5.5 million gallons of water per day from the St. Johns River to help meet Seminole County’s consumptive water demands. The water would be conveyed with a water transportation pipeline between the St. Johns River and the proposed Seminole County Yankee Lake Surface Water Treatment Facility.

Over time, daily withdrawals from the St. Johns could increase to an astounding 55 million gallons per day. Such large water withdrawals could lead to algae blooms, loss of wetlands, and increased saltwater intrusion into the river. Manatees live in the St. Johns River, and Blue Spring, the winter home of many of Save the Manatee Club’s manatee adoptees, is located just north of the proposed withdrawal site on the river. Water withdrawals in such large amounts from the river could negatively affect Blue Spring’s water quality and quantity and compromise the hundreds of manatees using the spring as a warm-water winter refuge.

The SJRWMD has been supportive of the proposed water withdrawal plan. If the Seminole County permit is granted, other counties will certainly begin asking to tap into the St. Johns and other rivers around the state to supply unsustainable amounts of water to their growing communities.

We cannot allow the health of natural treasures like the St. Johns River or Blue Spring to be compromised by Florida's poorly planned growth and refusal to appropriately value water.

We must demand more rigorous water conservation practices and oppose wasteful water use both indoors and outdoors.

What You Can Do:

Australian koalas are dying by the thousands as a result of land clearing in the country's northeast, while millions of birds and reptiles are also perishing, conservation group WWF said Sunday.

Check out http://current.com/items/89280574_thousands_of_australia_s_koalas_killed_by_land_clearing_wwf

The environmental body warned that unless urgent action was taken to stop trees being felled, some species would be pushed to the brink of extinction.

In an annual statement, Queensland state last week revealed that 375,000 hectares of bush were cleared in 2005-06 -- a figure WWF said would have resulted in the deaths of two million mammals.

Among those that perished as a result of loss of habitat would have been 9,000 tree-hugging koalas, WWF Australia spokesman Nick Heath said.

"It's a horrifying figure," Heath told AFP. "Two million mammals and that's all sorts of kangaroos, wallabies. We couldn't come to an exact figure on the birds, but I would say it would be over five million."

Heath said WWF's figures were based on earlier scientific assessments of animal density in each area of the state combined with the amount of land cleared over the 2005-2006 period.

He said the animals that died in the largest numbers were reptiles, including lizards and turtles.

Of particular concern was the impact on the koala, an iconic marsupial found only in Australia and which is most populous in Queensland state.

"There is scientific debate about whether koalas are on the verge of extinction or not... I don't want to enter into that debate," Heath said.

"All I say is, whether they are endangered or not, killing 9,000 koalas is unacceptable.

"People want koalas to exist, they don't want them to be on the endangered list. And if we kill 9,000 a year, even if they are not on the endangered list now, they will be if we don't stop."

Heath said that turning native bush into grazing paddocks meant that many of the animals killed died in fires set by farmers to clear debris after bulldozers cut down the trees.

"So these animals die horrific deaths," he said. "They are either dead from being run over or falling from a tree, or if they survive that, they are burnt alive."

The Queensland government has set up a task force to help conserve koala populations amid greater urban development in the state's southeast

...NOT THIS!
 

I know that the above photo is graphic and disturbing. I have been educating myself on the poaching ( "bushmeat" ) of primates over the last few months, with a strong focus on the Mountain Gorilla. I can only say, that the gentle gorillas need saving more than ever. It is bittersweet that this small population has been 'discovered'. It is great for the population #, but now the gorillas will be easier to trek by poachers & can become victim to diseases &/or sickness via human.

If anyone would like a listing of links related to Mountain Gorillas,( &other primates) anti-poaching organizations, primate groups... I will be updating my Care2 page with information in the next few days with info & links pertaining to the gorillas & the issues surronding their existance.

I also have another webpage at: http://julesrs007saveanimals.blogspot.com/ 

If you still want more info, please  let me know & I will give you any inforation I have.  Thank you all for your time & help.

Sincerely,

Julie

PLEASE sign, forward & X-POST this petition. I know that we can do better than 2300 signatures!

From Protect Gorillas From Deforestation - The Petition Site:

Protect Gorillas From Deforestation
Target: Congo's Ministry of Environment
Sponsored by: Care2.com

Great news for one of the world's most endangered animals: researchers have discovered some 125,000 western lowland gorillas that were previously uncounted in the Congo Basin. Until now, scientists believed there were only about 50,000 of these endangered gorillas left.
But this exciting new population estimate does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe. The western lowland gorilla continues to come under threat as timber companies move into the Congo Basin, home to more than a quarter of the world's tropical forest. Without careful management of the forest resources, western lowland gorillas and other gorilla subspecies will remain severely endangered.
Now more than ever authorities need to stem rampant deforestation, to preserve the habitats of the great apes and to support long-term sustainability of the region's natural resources.
Please urge Congo's Ministry of Environment to deny all deals that were signed illegally under the country's moratorium on new logging contracts.

ACTUAL PETITION:

"We are happy about recent news that researchers have discovered some 125,000 western lowland gorillas that were previously uncounted in the Congo basin. Until now, scientists believed there were only about 50,000 of these endangered gorillas left.

But this exciting new population estimate does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe. The western lowland gorilla continues to come under threat as timber companies move into the region. Logging and land clearance for farming are eating away the Congo Basin, home to more than a quarter of the world's tropical forest. Without careful management of the forest resources and strict enforcement of protected areas, the western lowland gorillas and other subspecies of gorillas will remain severely endangered.

Now more than ever it is essential to preserve the habitats of the great apes and support reforestation.

In 2002, with the Democratic Republic of Congo partially under the control of rebels, the country issued a five-year moratorium on new logging contracts to try and stem rampant deforestation. But the measure went largely unheeded and companies continued to sign new deals.

We ask that officials review the government-sponsored working group's recommendation on August 6, 2008 to cancel more than three quarters of its logging deals for not meeting necessary standards. But we are concerned that these recommendations did not go far enough. Sixteen of the 29 titles received a favorable opinion from the working group, despite being obtained in clear violation of the five-year moratorium on new logging contracts.

We urge you to comply with the five-year moratorium, and deny all logging contracts that were signed under moratorium.

Thank you for protecting the future of endangered gorillas and the biological diversity of the Congo basin."

I know that the above photo is graphic and disturbing. I have been educating myself on the poaching ( "bushmeat" ) of primates over the last few months, with a strong focus on the Mountain Gorilla. I can only say, that the gentle gorillas need saving more than ever. It is bittersweet that this small population has been 'discovered'. It is great for the population #, but now the gorillas will be easier to trek by poachers & can become victim to diseases &/or sickness via human.

If anyone would like a listing of links related to Mountain Gorillas,( &other primates) anti-poaching organizations, primate groups... I will be updating my Care2 page with information in the next few days with info & links pertaining to the gorillas & the issues surronding their existance.

I also have another webpage at: http://julesrs007saveanimals.blogspot.com/ 

If you still want more info, please  let me know & I will give you any inforation I have.  Thank you all for your time & help.

Sincerely,

Julie

PLEASE sign, forward & X-POST this petition. I know that we can do better than 2300 signatures!

From Protect Gorillas From Deforestation - The Petition Site: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/269086042

Protect Gorillas From Deforestation
Target: Congo's Ministry of Environment
Sponsored by: Care2.com

Great news for one of the world's most endangered animals: researchers have discovered some 125,000 western lowland gorillas that were previously uncounted in the Congo Basin. Until now, scientists believed there were only about 50,000 of these endangered gorillas left.
But this exciting new population estimate does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe. The western lowland gorilla continues to come under threat as timber companies move into the Congo Basin, home to more than a quarter of the world's tropical forest. Without careful management of the forest resources, western lowland gorillas and other gorilla subspecies will remain severely endangered.
Now more than ever authorities need to stem rampant deforestation, to preserve the habitats of the great apes and to support long-term sustainability of the region's natural resources.
Please urge Congo's Ministry of Environment to deny all deals that were signed illegally under the country's moratorium on new logging contracts.

ACTUAL PETITION:

"We are happy about recent news that researchers have discovered some 125,000 western lowland gorillas that were previously uncounted in the Congo basin. Until now, scientists believed there were only about 50,000 of these endangered gorillas left.

But this exciting new population estimate does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe. The western lowland gorilla continues to come under threat as timber companies move into the region. Logging and land clearance for farming are eating away the Congo Basin, home to more than a quarter of the world's tropical forest. Without careful management of the forest resources and strict enforcement of protected areas, the western lowland gorillas and other subspecies of gorillas will remain severely endangered.

Now more than ever it is essential to preserve the habitats of the great apes and support reforestation.

The SPCA has come out against a planned $210,000 aerial drop of the controversial poison 1080 by the Department of Conservation in Kahurangi National Park.

DOC plans a possum-control operation in 18-20,000ha of the national park, of which about 75 percent will be covered by an aerial 1080 drop this winter.

Robyn Kippenberger, national head of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says the use of the poison in areas where deer are present is "totally unacceptable" on grounds of cruelty.

Ms Kippenberger, who is to consult the Minister of Conservation on the issue, said research had documented that deer took two days to die a "very prolonged, painful death" from 1080.

"We're asking the minister to look closely at DOC's commitment to reduce, refine and replace 1080, to stop dropping it in areas with no TB, and to look at other ways to control deer," she said.

"They're using it to control far more than possums. 1080 was never supposed to be used like a driftnet.

Ms Kippenberger said the poison was banned in almost every other country.

But DOC biodiversity animal threats ranger Steve Deverell said a five-year review by an Environmental Risk Management Authority panel had sanctioned the use of the poison.

"The animal welfare issue (of 1080 use) was accepted as a valid concern," Mr Deverell said, "but it has been assessed independently and it was found to be within the animal ethics boundaries.

"The paramount issue is the control of possums for the benefit of conservation."

He said that ground-control poisoning was being used where possible, and 1080 was being applied in areas of steep, less accessible terrain.

Using cyanide in these inaccessible areas would involve abseiling down cliffs, which would be "risking people's lives".

Mr Deverell said ground birds such as kiwi and weka could be killed by the cyanide bait.

He said deer repellent was not being used because a directive from the Minister of Conservation only permitted it in specified recreational hunting areas, which did not include the Cobb Valley.

Golden Bay Deerstalkers' Association president Wayne Sixtus said it was pleased that ground control with cholecalciferol was being used in the Cobb Valley and Tablelands.

"For the public to have lost that last hunting area would have been devastating," he said. "We have negotiated with DOC about the whole process and we have a reasonable outcome. The Kahurangi National Park has a low density of deer."

Golden Bay anti-1080 campaigner Bill Climo, who formerly worked in pest control, said he had used 1080 in the past and was now opposed to it because of his personal experience.

"It takes a deer two days to die and it dies in absolute agony," he said.

"Even a possum takes up to a day to die, whereas cyanide kills within 10 minutes to half an hour."