Public Hearing Set for Proposed Manatee Protection Zones in Florida’s Flagler County
OutdoorHub 02.22.12
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff will hold the first public hearing for a proposed conservation measure establishing manatee speed zones in Flagler County, at 6 p.m. Feb. 29 in the Flagler County Commission chambers, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 2, Bunnell.
The purpose of the proposal is to improve protection for manatees and their habitat in Flagler County by limiting motorboat speed in portions of the county during the warm season only (May 1 – Sept. 7). The area includes 2.7 linear miles of slow speed zones on the Intracoastal Waterway.
The measure establishes protection zones in the vicinity of the Hammock Dunes Parkway Bridge, in the general area between Silver Lake and the State Road 100 (Moody Boulevard) Bridge, including Lehigh Canal, and in the southernmost roughly 2.1 miles of Flagler County. Additional information is available at MyFWC.com/Manatee (click on “Rulemaking” in the left menu).
The final public hearing for this rule is tentatively scheduled for either April 25 or 26 (to be determined later) at the FWC Commission meeting in Crystal River. For more information, contact Mr. Chris Boland at 850-922-4330.
