NAPLES — A year after proposing to list loggerhead sea turtles as endangered, federal reviewers say they need another six months to take a closer look at the data.
Loggerheads, the crawling darlings of Southwest Florida beaches, were named a threatened species more than 30 years ago. But that hasn’t stopped a barrage of threats from fishing gear that entangles them, coastal development and now global warming and sea level rise — encroaching on their nesting habitat.
In 2007, three environmental groups petitioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to change the designation for northwest Atlantic loggerheads, including those that nest in Southwest Florida, and North Pacific loggerheads.
After a study brought about by a 2009 settlement, the agencies proposed the endangered species listing and asked for public comment. They had until this month to make a final decision or ask for more time.
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