 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Manatee plans? Let's talk
By BARBARA BEHRENDT, Times Staff Writer
State officials are scheduled to visit the area next week to gather input on manatee sanctuary proposals for the Blue Waters portion of the Homosassa River. Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have drawn up three proposals to close different areas around the Blue Waters and will discuss those ideas and hear from the public during a workshop slated to begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W Sovereign Path. "I'm hoping that a lot of folks come out. We need to hear from the people," said Kipp Frohlich, biological administrator for the state's Bureau of Protected Species. "It's certainly far from a done deal at this point." The need for manatee protections at the Blue Waters has been discussed for several years. Manatee numbers have grown at the site, which is just outside the boundaries of the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. More manatees have brought more attention from dive tour operators and boaters. The conflict between the two has led some to voice concerns that manatees that come to the site to be nearer the springs at the headwaters of the Homosassa River are being harassed and driven away from the warm water habitat they need. But some dive tour operators, boaters and fishermen say that the Homosassa manatees have not been hurt by the attention. They further argue that some of the restrictions under consideration are not needed, would have a negative impact on recreation in the area and could cause unsafe boating conditions. Both the state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have proposed sanctuaries at the site as part of their lawsuit settlements with a coalition of environmental groups including the Save the Manatee Club. While both the state and the federal agencies have already met in the area to gather public comments about the Blue Waters, the federal agency has stepped back to allow the state to take the first steps in establishing no-entry areas. Tuesday's meeting will begin with an informal time for audience members to talk one on one with state officials about the three proposals. About 6 p.m., people will have the chance to make a formal statement. The proposals "were developed based on the first stakeholders meetings that we held there," Frohlich said. After gathering the public's ideas, he said the state staff would develop a plan to take to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission later this spring. The no-entry zones proposed by the state carry the same rules as federal manatee sanctuaries like the ones in Kings Bay and the surrounding canals. They would be seasonal, since manatees only use the area in large numbers in the winter, and all activities on the water such as boating, swimming and fishing would be prohibited. The Save the Manatee Club is supporting a variation of the third proposal, only with a more curved outline than the right angle proposed for the northern no-entry zone. Frohlich said that there have not been any other comments received yet. He said he knew there were some concerns about the zones causing a bottleneck for boats in the area and he was anxious to hear what solutions people might offer. "We don't want to do anything to make things dangerous for people," he said. But Frohlich himself said that when he has been at the site, boats tend to congregate in the areas that would be left open in the current proposals. The voluntary no-entry zone that was designated with signs several months ago did not do what officials had hoped, he said. Signs were placed asking people to stay out of one area of the Blue Waters so that manatees could rest there. While Frohlich said many people did heed the signs, it turns out that with the low winter tides and the growing silt problem, it was too shallow for the manatees to use much. "The area was not very accessible to manatees," he said. There is a long-term proposal on the table to dredge the area between the Blue Waters and the long-river bridge at the state park. The area is within the boundaries of the park and is already closed to public access. The dredging project is several years away, officials have said.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
Citrus Times |
