The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed keeping manatees under a threatened species classification, which has sparked controversy as environmentalists<a class="excerpt-read-more" href=" More

Federal wildlife officials Monday released a proposal that would continue to classify Florida manatees as a threatened species, after environmentalists argued they should be reclassified as endangered.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to maintain the "threatened" classification for Florida manatees, rejecting calls from environmental groups to reclassify them as "endangered." The agency announced its decision in a proposed rule released Monday,