Dean Ferry

Concerning my FAVORITE Subject, Manatee protection!

Dear Representatives,
Please vote YES on this legislation Senate bill (SB1614) and the House bill (HB1473) as it will HELP SAVE MANATEES, allow boaters to still use the SOVEREIGN State of Florida water ways, Protect our Property Rights, and force the Save-The-Manatee club, FFWCC and hopefully the USFWS to open their mindset to different ways to PROTECT the Manatee, other than Manatee Zones/sanctuaries. These bills will give the local communities/governments more of an input into these decisions and I APPLAUD the Florida State Legislative bodies for trying to give the power back to the PEOPLE!
Manatee No-Wake zones don't work BECAUSE Manatees CAN'T HEAR the boats coming, especially the Barges/Tugs, and all the other commercial vessels! These SAME Commercial vessels are mostly EXEMPT from Manatee No-Wake zones . It's not recreational boaters who are killing Manatees, it's the commercial tug/barge/boat traffic! One of the best solutions to this WHOLE problem, is the Manatee Underwater Acoustic Warning device that is proposed in the Acoustic Research Study.
The Acoustic Research Study, http://www.acoustics.org/press/142nd/gerstein2.html which as co-funded by CFW Brevard and Standing Watch, CLEARLY shows that Manatee NO WAKE ZONES are the worst possible thing for Manatees!! But the FFWCC, STM Club, and the USFWS WON'T even look @ this Acoustic Study as a possible SOLUTION!
Plus the fact that, the POLLUTED warm water discharges from the Power, Pulp, Sewage Treatment Plants through-out Florida., are TERRIBLE for the Manatees. Are all these Chemicals and POLLUTANTS from these plants good for the Manatee to live in? I doubt it very much!! Ask yourself WHY does the FFWCC and the STM Club want to keep these warm water discharges going? They will tell you that that Manatees will die by the scores if we cool the discharges, BUT the fact of the matter is that Manatees die every year, when we have COLD Snaps in the winter time! This approach is just MAGNIFYING this problem and it is a DISASTER waiting to happen!!
Here in Brevard Co., we have Manatees DYING, (7, so far, I think) and the biologists are finding Balls of WORMS in their stomachs and they don't know WHY? Well, I think it's safe to say that having a Manatee sit in WARM WATER AFFLUENT Discharge is probably a good source for these "Worms/Larva" to come from. A simple law requiring that "ALL WATER RETURNED TO IT'S ORIGINAL SOURCE, SHOULD BE THE SAME TEMPERATURE AS IT WAS WHEN IT WAS DRAWN OUT OF SAID SOURCE", should resolve this whole issue by allowing the Manatee to return to it's NATURAL Migration Patterns, and also help the rest of the aquatic life in the waterways.
The Endangered Species Act, (ESA) states it is ILLEGAL to impede/change in any way, the MIGRATION PATTERNS of any Endangered Species. Yet that is exactly what these plants do! How can the State of Fl. and the USFWS continue to do this, and "By-Pass" ESA?! Plus, the overall question of how can the Manatee still be considered ENDANGERED when it's population has grown from roughly 700+ in the 1980's to over 3200 in 2001?! The American Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List with LESS of a % of recovery than the Manatee has attained!! This whole "Manatees are on the Brink Of Extinction" issue is nothing more than a BIG FAT LIE coming out of the mouths of the Save-The-Manatee club executives. They are really MORE worried about their jobs and livelihood, than they are about the Manatees!
The Save-The-Manatee club is nothing more than a lawsuit slinging, Political lobbing, machine that started out with good intentions BUT has grown into this out-of-control ECO-RADICAL Group that uses Bad, FALSE data to protect their jobs! Let's use TRUE SCIENCE to help the Manatee, not misleading propaganda, Lawsuits, false data, and fear-mongering from the STM Club.
Please do the right thing for the Manatees and Vote yes on this legislation.
Thanks for your time,

Dean Ferry
1440 Centaurus Ct.
Merritt Island, Fl. 32953

Well, that's about it guys and gals, and I HOPE this thread doesn't turn into a name calling tirade! This is the GREATEST thing about living in the USA, Each individual expressing his/her right to petition their Gov't and to HOPEFULLY be heard by their ELECTED OFFICALS!! Man, I LOVE the USA!!!
MD

[ 02-12-2002: Message edited by: Dean Ferry ]

seanclong

Right on Dean!!!! Exercise your rights!!! The fact that not everyone agrees with a person's views is VERY important. That's how a democracy works -- dissenting views come together to form a consensus. The best citizens, in my opinion, are the ones that make everyone think seriously about an issue.

Sean

CigDaze

I applaud your efforts, Dean!
My sentiments, exactly...I think I'll write one today, too!

However, the sad thing is that more often than not if you're letter doesn't include a big, fat, generous "campaign contribution," it's falling on deaf ears!!!

supercrash

Dean...Some kind of noise making device IS the answer.Looks like these are placed in the water where they are needed..There also could be a device that could be placed on a hull of a boat..Kinda like a deer whistle..The water temp. issue could solve some of the problem , but the manatees have already developed certain habits that may take a long time to break....Your letter looks very good..And it does look like the problem will be fixed before it's to late. ..Good luck with the courts

spitfire1

Way to go Dean!!! Its good to know that other people are passionate enough about certain things to take the time and effort to express their views.....Good Job

Dean Ferry

Here's what the STM CLub has to say about it. http://www.savethemanatee.org/talegislative2.htm
I Noticed a couple of things right away,
1. How it's the RADICAL GO-FAST BOATER'S groups who are behind this! I guess we have gotten their attention!
Actually the NMMA is sponsering these bills too!
2. How they ask members to get ANYBODY who can "Fog the MIrror" to write a letter denouncing these bills. Even people who live OUTSIDE the state of FL.!

I think we are close to bringing some common sense to this issue and HELP the Manatee @ the same time!
MD

Dean Ferry

That's exactly what we are talking about, An underwater "Manatee Whistle" that would do the same thing as the deer whistle. They, (Dr.Gernstein and Dr. Blue) have already proven that it can work, it would be a Hull mounted, 14-16,000 Hz Tranducer, pulsed 2 Hz rate.
MD

FA18Driver

Give em hell Dean As someone who longer lives in Florida I agree with you buddy, I like Manatees as much as the next guy but let's get real here and do what is right, I think you are dead on with your comments. Keep up the good work

ForrestC

Here is a link to Senate Bill SB1614 and House Bill HB1473 as they presently stand in the Florida Legislature.

[ 02-12-2002: Message edited by: ForrestC ]

CigDaze

I just sent my opinions to our Reps!
I feel better now!