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The fact that the Florida Key deer was included in the 2021 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 5 -Year Status Review was based on hard work on the part of the Key Deer Protection Alliance, news agencies, and the exceptional help received from Attorney Jason Totoiu, of the Center for Biological Diversity, and Attorney Karimah Schoenhut, of Sierra Club.  

Both attorneys have been involved with Key Deer issues since 2018, when a potential lowering of protections ("delisting") of the species by the FWS became known. Both organizations have been instrumental in ensuring that any lowering of the current level of protection of the Key deer follows federal laws regarding endangered species.

Sierra Club brought a successful legal challenge in U.S. District Court to obtain FWS records related to a scientific species status assessment for the Key deer, which, the agency's regulatory arm had refused to release.  Using those records to help identify flaws in the science, they subsequently submitted a detailed analysis of the 2021 FWS Special Species Assessment (SSA) to the Biden Administration.  This resulted in a FWS Scientific Integrity Office investigation that agreed that the previous Key deer status assessment contained serious error and should not be used in decision-making about the species.

The recent public comment period for the 2021 Special Species Assessment, which will recommend whether the Key deer's status will remain endangered, ended on September 13, 2021.  While we still do not know the outcome, we do know many comments were made urging continued maximum protections for the Key deer.  Five national and local organizations we have worked with over the years submitted comments:  Center for Biological Diversity, Florida Keys Chapter of Isaac Walton League of America, Florida Keys Citizens Coalition, Last Stand and Sierra Club.  Additionally, we received feedback from over twenty individuals who submitted comments in opposition to a status change for the Key deer.  We are encouraged and hopeful for a positive outcome. We will keep you posted.