Tortugas Reserve ReefAlert! Email FL Gov Bush by April 20

Alexander Stone reefkeeper at earthlink.net
Mon Apr 16 09:16:18 EDT 2001


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* Florida Cabinet to Vote April 23rd *
* on Tortugas Ecological Reserve!    *
* Email Your Support NOW!            *
* (email text below)                 *
**************************************


Dear friend of coral reefs:

The proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve is facing a yes-or-no vote by
the Florida Cabinet on April 23rd. Florida Cabinet approval is the final
step needed for 36 square miles of state waters and bottoms to be
included in the proposed 151-square-mile multi-jurisdictional no-take
reserve. Help us make sure that the Florida Cabinet votes YES! on the
Tortugas Reserve by sending the email below.

While the Tortugas are still in relatively good condition, fishing
pressure has increased dramatically, visitor use at the Dry Tortugas
National Park has doubled in the last three years, and anchoring by
freighters still threatens reefs in the region.

The two-section Tortugas Ecological Reserve would be located in the Gulf
of Mexico, approximately 60 miles west of Key West. The 91-square-mile
Tortugas North section would include Sherwood Forest's pristine coral
reefs and a portion of Tortugas Bank. The 60-square-mile Tortugas South
section would include the spawning grounds at Riley's Hump and important
deep-water habitats. A 6-mile-wide corridor between the 2 Reserve
sections would provide maneuvering room for unhampered trolling, other
fishing activities, and transit into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Tortugas Ecological Reserve would fully protect the best remaining
coral reefs off Florida and their marine life. There would be no taking
of marine life, anchoring, or mooring by vessels over 100 feet long
anywhere in the two-section 151-square-mile Reserve. In the
60-square-mile Tortugas South section, only diving for scientific or
educational purposes would be permitted.

(For more info on the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, go to
http://www.reefkeeper.org/Campaigns/MarineParks/FLA/TortugasEcoReserve.html
)

Approval has already been won for inclusion in the Reserve of 115 square
miles of federal waters and bottoms under jurisdiction of the Gulf of
Mexico Fishery Management Council and Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary.  Now we need the Florida Cabinet to vote YES on April 23rd,
so 36 square miles of critical state waters can become part of the
Reserve.

Help us make sure that the Florida Cabinet votes YES! on the Tortugas
Reserve by sending the email below to Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the
Florida Cabinet.

*********************

SEND YOUR EMAIL TO (CUT & PASTE):
Governor Jeb Bush <jeb at jeb.org>, Sec. of State Katherine Harris
<secretary at mail.dos.state.fl.us>, Atty. General Bob Butterworth
<Diane_Moulton at oag.state.fl.us>, Comptroller Robert Milligan
<Robert_F_Milligan at mail.dbf.state.fl.us>, Treasurer Tom Gallagher
<gallaghert at doi.state.fl.us>, Agriculture commissioner Terry Rhodes
<meltonc at doacs.state.fl.us>, Education Commissioner Charlie Crist
<cristc at mail.doe.state.fl.us.>

SUGGESTED EMAIL HEADING (CUT & PASTE OR EDIT):
Please Vote Yes on Tortugas Reserve

SUGGESTED EMAIL TEXT (CUT & PASTE OR EDIT):
Dear Governor Bush and Florida Cabinet Members:

I respectfully request you approve the inclusion of state waters and
bottoms in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, as proposed by the Tortugas
2000 Working Group and unanimously endorsed by the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and the Florida Fish & Wildlife
Conservation Commission.  

I also request that you approve management measures for the Reserve to
prohibit any take of marine life, any anchoring, and mooring by vessels
over 100 feet long.

Thank you for your support.

Respectfully,

(ADD BELOW ALL THIS INFO)
YOUR NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
ZIP CODE

******end of email to Gov. Bush & Fla Cabinet*********


For the past 2 years, ReefKeeper International has served on the
Tortugas 2000 Working Group that designed the Reserve, testified
numerous times verbally and in writing before  regulatory agencies, made
several public awareness Tortugas Reserve presentations, and issued
action alerts and news releases to generate public support for the
designation.

Thank you so much for helping us make the Tortugas Ecological Reserve a
reality,  (To donate to this campaign, please go to
http://www.reefkeeper.org/Donate.html )

Sincerely,

Alexander Stone, Director
ReefKeeper International
************************
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http://www.reefkeeper.org
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