Four months ago, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) pleasantly surprised enviros by saying that his administration would not approve any marina expansions in counties without solid plans to protect endangered manatees, but now Bush has gone back on his word. Yesterday, Bush and his cabinet quietly approved a project they had publicly blocked in July, an expansion plan for the Sarasota Yacht Club, even though Sarasota County still doesn’t have a manatee protection plan. There are only about 2,200 to 2,500 manatees left in Florida waters, and many of them are killed each year in collisions with boats.
