| 1 | Representative Needelman offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | On page 4, line 21, through page 7, line 25, |
| 5 | remove: all of said lines |
| 6 |
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| 7 | and insert: |
| 8 | contract with a Florida marine research institution to conduct a |
| 9 | manatee habitat and submerged aquatic vegetation assessment that |
| 10 | specifically considers: |
| 11 | 1. Manatee populations that congregate in the warm water |
| 12 | discharge sites at power plants in the state and the potential |
| 13 | risks for disease resulting from increased congregation of |
| 14 | manatees at these sites; |
| 15 | 2. Development of research, monitoring, and submerged |
| 16 | aquatic vegetation restoration priorities for manatee habitat in |
| 17 | and near the warm water discharge sites at power plants in the |
| 18 | state; and |
| 19 | 3. The potential impacts on manatees and manatee habitat |
| 20 | if power plants that provide warm water discharge sites where |
| 21 | manatees congregate are closed, including how closure will |
| 22 | affect the size and health of submerged aquatic vegetation |
| 23 | areas. |
| 24 | (b) The Florida marine research institution must submit an |
| 25 | interim report on the manatee habitat and submerged aquatic |
| 26 | vegetation assessment to the Governor, the Legislature, and the |
| 27 | commission by September 1, 2006. The interim report must detail |
| 28 | the progress of the assessment. The final report, due to the |
| 29 | Governor, the Legislature, and the commission by January 1, |
| 30 | 2007, must detail the results of the assessment and include |
| 31 | recommendations for protection of manatee habitat in warm water |
| 32 | discharge sites at power plants in the state. |
| 33 | (c) The commission shall ensure that funds allocated to |
| 34 | implement the manatee habitat and submerged aquatic vegetation |
| 35 | assessment are expended in a manner that is consistent with the |
| 36 | requirements of this subsection. The commission may require an |
| 37 | annual audit of the expenditures made by a Florida marine |
| 38 | research institution. Copies of any audit requested under this |
| 39 | subsection must be provided to the appropriate substantive and |
| 40 | appropriations committees of the Senate and the House of |
| 41 | Representatives as they become available. |
| 42 | (3) As part of the enhanced manatee protection study, the |
| 43 | Legislature intends that the commission must conduct a signage |
| 44 | and boat speed assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of |
| 45 | manatee protection signs and sign placement and to assess boat |
| 46 | speeds. The commission shall evaluate existing data on manatee |
| 47 | mortality before and after existing manatee protection zones |
| 48 | were established, boater compliance and comprehension of |
| 49 | regulatory signs and buoys, changes in boating traffic patterns, |
| 50 | and manatee distribution and behavior. The commission shall |
| 51 | also provide recommendations on innovative marker designs that |
| 52 | are in compliance with the federal aids to navigation system. |
| 53 | The signage and boat speed assessment must address: |
| 54 | (a) The effectiveness of signs and buoys to warn boaters |
| 55 | of manatee slow-speed zones, with a goal of developing federally |
| 56 | approved standards for marking manatee protection zones; |
| 57 | (b) A determination of where buoys may be used in place of |
| 58 | pilings for boating safety purposes; and |
| 59 | (c) An evaluation of higher speed travel corridors in |
| 60 | manatee zones to determine the most effective speed to balance |
| 61 | safe boating, recreational use, vessel operating |
| 62 | characteristics, and manatee protection. |
| 63 |
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| 64 |
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| 65 | The commission shall complete its signage and boat speed |
| 66 | assessment by January 1, 2007, and must submit a report of its |
| 67 | findings to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the |
| 68 | Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1, 2007. |
| 69 | The report must detail the results of the assessment and |
| 70 | identify specific recommendations for developing state and local |
| 71 | policies relating to the appropriate placement of signs, |
| 72 | including innovative markers, in manatee slow-speed zones. |
| 73 | (4) The commission is authorized to develop and implement |
| 74 | the use of genetic tagging to improve its ability to assess the |
| 75 | status and health of the manatee population, including the |
| 76 | health and reproductive capacity of manatees, estimating annual |
| 77 | survival rates through mark recapture studies, determining |
| 78 | migration patterns, and determining maternity and paternity. |
| 79 | The development and use of genetic tagging may be done in |
| 80 | cooperation with federal agencies or other entities, such as |
| 81 | genetic laboratories at schools within the State University |
| 82 | System. |
| 83 | Section 3. Subsection (6) of section 372.072, Florida |
| 84 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 85 | 372.072 Endangered and Threatened Species Act.-- |
| 86 | (6) MEASURABLE BIOLOGICAL GOALS.--No later than February |
| 87 | 15, 2003, the commission, working in conjunction with the United |
| 88 | States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall develop measurable |
| 89 | biological goals that define manatee recovery. These Measurable |
| 90 | biological goals that define manatee recovery developed by the |
| 91 | commission, working in conjunction with the United States Fish |
| 92 | and Wildlife Service, shall be used by the commission in its |
| 93 | development of management plans or work plans. In addition to |
| 94 | other criteria, these measurable biological goals shall be used |
| 95 | by the commission when evaluating existing and proposed |
| 96 | protection rules, and in determining progress in achieving |
| 97 | manatee recovery. Not later than July 1, 2005, the commission |
| 98 | shall develop rules to define how measurable biological goals |
| 99 | will be used by the commission when evaluating the need for |
| 100 | additional manatee protection rules. |
| 101 | Section 4. Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, |
| 102 | the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shall contract |
| 103 | with a Florida marine research institution to conduct the |
| 104 | ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================= |
| 105 | On page 1, line(s) 23, |
| 106 | remove: all of said line |
| 107 |
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| 108 | and insert: with a Florida marine research institution to |
| 109 | conduct a |