Save the Manatee

I read a short article in the November/December issue of Sierra Magazine about how the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife was proposing to make Kings Bay, Florida into a manatee refuge. The manatee's overwinter there, and last year two of them were killed by boaters. This tragedy is even worse because manatee's are an endangered species, and "vulnerable to extinction".
Apparently though there is  a group called the Citrus County Tea Party Patriots who oppose this proposition saying "We cannot elevate nature above people. That is against the Bible and the Bill of Rights."
And while I know I must be careful not to stereotype all religious people, I would like to point this out as maybe a more extreme example of why I don't believe science and religion will ever be compatible.
First of all saying that people are not a part of nature is...frankly wrong. If you don't even understand basic fact then...well, there probably isn't much point in even trying to explain anything else. The fact that as far as "life" is concerned we are equal with slime molds, flying squirrels and chimpanzee's makes us a part of nature. The fact that our bodies obey the same laws of physics as the solar system, and the Milky Way makes us a part of the universe. When we destroy life, we destroy ourselves. When we discover something new about the universe, we discover something new about ourselves. To truly respect, and understand science you can't think of yourself as something separate from it.
Now, I understand that religious folks believe they are divinely created, but even if that were true, does that then give them the right to treat other life (especially ones that can't protect themselves) like crap? I mean do these Tea Party Patriots really believe allowing a bunch of drunk rednecks to race around in speed boats, and water ski is better than saving a species that is endangered because of us? Do they really believe that humans have the right to be fascist dictators over the rest of nature? WTF?
I'm not even going to touch the "against the Bible and Bill of Rights" thing. It's so stupid an argument it's not worth the energy or time.
I'm not saying all religious people are like this, but I'm saying there are some, and they are usually the loudest. And they are hurting science, and all of us with their ignorant ideas. And I for one don't have the patience for it.