FWC - Imperiled Species Listing Process

Current Actions

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s goal is to provide conservation for imperiled species through a comprehensive management system, including a listing process that requires a written conservation plan for all listed species.

A team of FWC employees has been working on draft rules to achieve this goal as well as identify species that need state intervention for survival. The draft rules link species protections to science, while using a balanced approach through collaboration and partnerships.

Staff are continuing to work with stakeholders and the public on the draft rules, and will present the draft rules to the Commission at a later date.

The FWC has two active listing actions in process for the Florida manatee and the Panama City crayfish. At the December 2007 meeting, Commissioners asked FWC staff to review the current imperiled species listing process and provide ideas on how to overcome the polarization created by the process and how to improve the process itself. No new petitions will be accepted or evaluated for potential listing during this time.

The Commission also deferred listing actions for the Panama City crayfish. The Florida manatee management plan was approved at the Dec. 2007 Commission meeting; however, reclassification of the manatee to a threatened species was deferred while staff reviews FWC’s imperiled species listing system. Finalization of the Panama City crayfish plan has been deferred while staff reviews the imperiled species listing system.

Staff ideas

and thoughts

on the listing process and imperiled species management system were presented to the Commission at the June 2008 meeting. The Commission directed staff to pursue the ideas with stakeholders, provide interim updates, and bring a recommendation to the June 2009 meeting. At the June 2009 Commission meeting, staff were directed to begin drafting a rule and provided an update to the Commission in September and December 2009. Staff are continuing to work with stakeholders and the public on the draft rules and will present a draft rule package to the Commission at a later date.

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