Proposal to downgrade the wood stork from "endangered" to "threatened" creates controversy

The iconic wood stork is making a comeback from the verge of extinction, a success story for a long-legged wading bird that breeds primarily in the western Everglades. But Audubon Florida leaders, while celebrating the comeback, say federal officials were much too quick to downgrade the wood stork from "endangered" to "threatened." Interior Secretary Sally Jewell made the announcement Thursday at the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, a rookery in Georgia, saying the bird's recovery shows the value of the Endangered Species Act. When wood storks were listed as endangered in 1984, their population was dropping at a rate of 5 percent a year. Since then, the population has doubled, with nesting pairs ranging from 7,086 to 10,147. Audubon Florida immediately objected, saying the wood stork's habitat has actually decreased, especially in the western Everglades...more

Notice the enviros' concern is not about the number of wood storks, its about the habitat.  This is really about their ability to influence or control land use.  That's why they sue to get'em on the list and sue again to keep'em on.  "It's one step closer to de-listing it, which we think would be inappropriate" says the Audubon spokesman.