18470369, 68C-22.023 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 18470369

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Manatees

Chapter:

THE FLORIDA MANATEE SANCTUARY ACT

Overview

RULE:

68C-22.023

Collier County Zones

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the proposed rule is to improve protection of manatees and manatee habitat in Collier County by amending the existing regulations that establish safe havens and limit allowable motorboat speed in portions of the county. These actions are being proposed after considering: [1] new information, analyses, and reports that have been collected, performed, or prepared since the existing zones were established; and [2] recommendations made by the Collier County Local Rule Review Committee that was formed pursuant to Section 379.2431(2)(f), F.S. The effect of the action would be to amend the zones that establish safe havens and limit allowable motorboat speed in portions of the county and to revise other provisions of the rule. Additional information is available at: http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/manatee/rulemaking/.

SUMMARY:

A rule addressing manatee protection throughout Collier County was adopted in 1983 and amended in 1997. The proposed rule would remove existing 30MPH in channel and 20MPH outside of marked channel zones in  three areas (Cocohatchee River east of US41, Upper Addison/Unknown Bays, and a portion of McIlvane Bay) and five areas will change from Idle Speed All Year to Slow Speed All Year in portions of Naples Bay, Gordon Pass, Marco River, Goodland Bay, and Barron River. Three areas that have existing 30MPH in channel and Slow Speed outside of marked channel will change to Slow Speed Shore to Shore (a portion of the Inland waterway between Keewadin Island and Halloway Island, a portion of the waterway between Halloway Island and Little Marco Island and in the narrow waterway between Hall Bay and Henderson Creek), a new Slow Speed zone would be added in Moorings Bay (City of Naples), and a new No Entry zone would be added in the newly created manatee warm-water refuge located on the west side of the Faka Union Canal, an exception to this No Entry zone is provided to employees and authorized agents of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The proposed rule includes new descriptions of the existing zones in the remainder the county, but the zones are not being substantively changed. The maps accompanying this notice show only those geographic areas where zones would change. The new descriptions are needed so that all zone descriptions are based on the same geographic projection and the most up-to-date and accurate shoreline information.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

LAW:

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

1/10/2017 Vol. 43/06

COMMENTS:

From 1/10/2017 To 1/31/2017 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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