I don't know how many of you have seen the Florida Scrub Jay ads from the ABC and Earthjustice on facebook. I finally got around to reading about it from an email I received from the ABC today.
The short version of the story is a familiar one: a developer wants to build on land in Scrub Jay habitat, and they want to avoid paying a fee that will go toward conservation efforts. They're suing to remove federal protections (and the associated fee) on the grounds that the Florida Scrub Jay lives only in Florida (not across state lines) so it doesn't deserve federal protections. According to the ABC, there are lots of federally listed species that live in only one state. The outcome of this case will set a precedent.
There's no action in terms of calling your congresspeople (as far as I can tell), but if you are so inclined, you can make a donation to Earthjustice, the firm that filed the request to defend the Florida Scrub Jay's federal protections.
