Senate Bill sb1676

    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1676

    By Senator Bennett





    21-1188-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to protection of manatees;

  3         amending s. 370.12, F.S.; requiring that

  4         measurable biological goals for manatee

  5         recovery adopted under the Florida Endangered

  6         and Threatened Species Act be used by the Fish

  7         and Wildlife Conservation Commission when

  8         evaluating existing and proposed

  9         manatee-protection rules; directing that

10         existing manatee-protection rules be presumed

11         adequate and additional rules unnecessary in a

12         region where the measurable biological goals

13         are being achieved; providing that the

14         presumption does not prevent the commission

15         from addressing manatee issues within that

16         region; defining the term "region" for purposes

17         of the act; providing an effective date.

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19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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21         Section 1.  Paragraph (u) is added to subsection (2) of

22  section 370.12, Florida Statutes, ro read:

23         370.12  Marine animals; regulation.--

24         (2)  PROTECTION OF MANATEES OR SEA COWS.--

25         (u)1.  The measurable biological goals for manatee

26  recovery adopted under s. 372.072(6) shall be used by the

27  commission when evaluating existing and proposed manatee

28  protection rules. Existing manatee protection rules shall be

29  presumed to be adequate and additional rules unnecessary in a

30  region where the measurable biological goals are being

31  achieved. However, the presumption does not prevent the

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1676
    21-1188-04




 1  commission from addressing unique issues concerning manatees

 2  within a region.

 3         2.  As used in this paragraph, the term "region" means

 4  one of the four geographic areas defined by the United States

 5  Fish and Wildlife Service in the Florida Manatee Recovery

 6  Plan, 3rd revision (October 30, 2001).

 7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

 8  law.

 9  

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11                          SENATE SUMMARY

12    Provides that measurable biological goals for manatee
      recovery adopted under the Florida Endangered and
13    Threatened Species Act must be used by the Fish and
      Wildlife Conservation Commission when evaluating existing
14    and proposed manatee-protection rules. Directs that
      existing manatee-protection rules are presumed to be
15    adequate and additional rules unnecessary in a region
      where the measurable biological goals are being achieved.
16    Provides that the presumption does not prevent the
      commission from addressing unique manatee issues within
17    that region.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.