Florida Downgrades Manatee from Endangered to Threatened

Update: 17 environmental groups have filed a petition to reverse this decision.  Gristmill post

Manatee: NY Times

Manatee picture from Quantum Conservation

The NY Time reports that Florida is downgrading the manatee from endangered to threatened as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services considers whether to reclassify it.  The boating lobby is saying that they don't want to remove the boating protections the manatee enjoys, but they nonetheless want it downgraded.  The development community also supports the downgrading of protection.  Am I missing something?  Why do they care unless they want to provide less protection?  Like the saga of the grizzly and the wolf in the west, this situation highlights the need to moderate measures to protect biodiversity even for species that are not or no longer endangered or threatened.