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Defenders Magazine
Defenders in Action: Judge Rules in Favor of Defenders Efforts to Protect the Florida Black Bear
A lawsuit filed by Defenders of Wildlife and a coalition of conservation groups and individuals led to good news for the Florida black bear in December. A U.S. District Court dismissed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 1998 determination that the Florida black bear did not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and ordered the agency to make a new determination. The coalition has worked for more than 10 years to protect the bear under the ESA.
The Florida black bear is threatened by loss and degradation of habitat caused by development, the inadequacy of legal protections for habitat and collisions with automobiles. The bear has already been extirpated from approximately 75 percent of its historic range. Bear experts agree that if something is not done to reverse the loss of its habitat, six of the 10 remaining Florida black bear populations could soon disappear.
