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NFC: Fw: EDF_Action_Network alert: Protecting Critical Habitat for Fish
Dear robert rice:
You can take action on this alert either by email or preferably on the
web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/take-action.tcl?key=147997A4175B945468914C91298.
Here's what this alert is about:
Protecting Critical Habitat for Fish
----------------------
To: All Environmental Defense Activists
From: Doug Hopkins, Oceans Program Manager
Azur Moulaert, Action Network Manager
Date: December 17, 1999
Subject: Protecting Critical Habitat for Fish
The habitats upon which fish depend for spawning, feeding,
and protection are at risk! We need your help this week to
prevent the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from
weakening important regulations designed to protect fish
habitat. Here's what's at stake:
The Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA), which was signed into
law on October 11, 1996, contains important mandates to
protect essential fish habitat (EFH), which is defined as
those waters necessary to fish for spawning, breeding,
feeding, and growth to maturity. The NMFS and the regional
fishery management councils are required to take action to
protect this habit from over-fishing, pollution, or other
activities which could harm it.
A coalition of industry groups has been aggressively
lobbying the NMFS and Congress to gut the EFH regulatory
program and its legal underpinnings. They successfully
prevented the agency from issuing final regulations in
December 1997 and have now persuaded the NMFS to reopen
public comment. This new comment period is designed to
delay finalization of the EFH regulations until the
opponents are successful in convincing Congress to repeal
or gut the law. We cannot let this happen!
Comments from concerned citizens like you are desperately
needed to ensure that the NMFS maintains strong protection
for essential fish habitat. Below is a sample comment
letter. Please feel free to use all or part of this letter
as the basis for your comments. Since the comment period
closes at 5:00 p.m. EST on December 23, 1999, your action
is needed now!
Thank you.
----------------------
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this
alert by going to the following URL:
http://actionnetwork.org/take-action.tcl?key=147997A4175B945468914C91298
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program, and edit
the letter below as you wish. If your email program does not have
a "reply to sender" option, you can copy and paste the letter below into
a new email message and mail it to
alert-response-147997A4175B945468914C91298 at actionnetwork_org.
You must include the whole letter in your response including "-YOU MAY
EDIT THE LETTER BELOW-" and "-END OF LETTER-". Please do not
add your name and address to your letter. Action Network automatically
does this for you.
We STRONGLY encourage you to make edits directly to our sample letter
below, and put the alert talking points into your own words. An
individualized letter is worth ten computer generated letters. Of
course, hundreds of unedited letters will still create a large impact,
so please reply even if you don't have time to personalize the letter.
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
EFH Coordinator
-------YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW---------
Re: Don't weaken the Essential Fish Habitat regulations!
Comments on Federal Register notice, 64 Fed. Reg. 60731)
Protecting essential fish habitat is important to me. We
must stop the destruction of important fish habitats
including wetlands, sea grasses, reefs, and rocky bottoms
to ensure that the health of our fisheries is maintained
for the next millennium. Congress passed the Sustainable
Fisheries Act in 1996 to do just that. I urge you, as the
Federal agency charged with carrying out this law, to
aggressively protect fish habitat in the following ways:
1) Demonstrate your commitment to fish habitat protection
by finalizing the essential fish habitat regulations
immediately; don't weaken the regulations!
2) Don't narrow the definition of essential fish habitat;
all areas where a fish species exists may be critical to
its survival.
3) Your agency has the authority to protect fish habitat
from damaging fishing practices; use it! Assess the
impacts of fishing on habitat and take action to minimize
any adverse impacts.
4) Land-based development is a continuing threat to coastal
fish habitat. The Federal agencies that authorize or fund
these activities should be required to evaluate the effects
of their actions on fish habitat, and be required to take
steps to minimize or mitigate any adverse effects.
Thank you for considering my comments.
-------END OF LETTER-------------------------
Sincerely yours,
robert rice
2213 prytania circle
prytania circle
navaree, FL 32566
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