A public hearing is Saturday in Orlando on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to reclassify the Florida manatee as threatened.
Now they’re considered endangered.
Fish and Wildlife says improvements in the Florida manatee's habitat and population mean the animal no longer fits under Endangered Species Act.
The public hearing is part of a 90-day comment period on the proposal ending April 7.
Advocates say manatees still face many threats such as poor water quality. They also say manatees remain too reliant during the winter on artificial sources of warm water like power plants.
The hearing starts at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Buena Vista Palace Conference Center.
