Hi John,

The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is the only refuge created specifically to protect Florida manatees.

But when Trump and DOGE slashed the federal workforce, they made the refuge's life-saving work impossible.

So the Center for Biological Diversity let the administration know we plan to sue unless it changes course.

Please help the Center as we lead the fight for wildlife. Your gift today to the Future for the Wild Fund will be matched dollar for dollar.

Staffers at the Crystal River refuge protect manatees from harm and harassment in Florida's most important natural warm-water habitat.

The refuge is more than a sanctuary. It's also a tourism hotspot, with more than two dozen "swim-with-manatees" commercial operations and hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Manatees have been repeatedly harassed, and mothers have even been separated from calves, by irresponsible tour operations.

Just eight staffers manage a 32,000-acre area. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency fired two of them. Both were re-hired after a federal court ordered their reinstatement, but the Trump administration is appealing that decision.

Taking away help for these treasured marine mammals is heartbreaking and morally wrong. The Center's been in court for years trying to get manatees more protection.

Crystal River has long been understaffed. It needs more people to protect manatees, not less. For DOGE and Trump to continue to press their attack on the wild is illegal and immoral.

No one wants to see manatee calves separated from their mothers. No one wants manatees harassed or harmed. Nearly 20% of Florida's manatees use the Crystal River refuge as habitat during the winter—and that number is expected to increase in the coming years.

For these gentle giants to have a future, they must be kept safe year-round.

We're ready to go to court to make that happen.

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For the wild,

Kierán Suckling
Executive Director
Center for Biological Diversity

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