Expanded 'critical' habitat eyed for manatees in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Federal wildlife officials have proposed expanding designations of "critical habitat" for Florida manatees, potentially bolstering protections in areas ranging from Wakulla Springs in Northwest Florida to the upper St. Johns River in Northeast Florida.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected Tuesday to publish a proposed rule that would lead to 1.9 million acres being designated as critical habitat, nearly double the amount designated in the past.

The proposal came after the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Save the Manatee Club filed a lawsuit in 2022 to try to force upgraded habitat protections. The federal agency later reached a settlement and agreed to propose a revised critical habitat for manatees by this month.

"For too long, we have degraded and destroyed the Florida manatee’s habitat through pollution, dredging, and blocking access to the natural warm water springs vital to its winter survival," Jane Davenport, a senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife, said in a prepared statement Monday. "When finalized, the proposed critical habitat expansion will give federal, state, and conservation groups the information and impetus to ensure the beloved Florida manatee’s full recovery."

The proposal involves 12 coastal and inland areas of the state and focuses on places where manatees go for warm water in the winter and on relatively nearby areas where they forage for food.

"Florida manatees require stable, long-term sources of warm water, such as natural springs, during colder months to survive," the proposal said.

The federal government classifies manatees as a "threatened" species, and the sea cows drew widespread attention in 2021 when a record 1,100 died. Many died of starvation caused by the decline of seagrass beds that are prime foraging areas.

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The state had 800 manatee deaths in 2022, before the number dropped to 555 in 2023, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data. As of Sept. 13, the state had totaled 451 manatee deaths this year,

The Fish and Wildlife Service said in the proposed rule that it designated 965,394 acres of critical habitat in 1976, based on where large concentrations of manatees were known to occur. However, environmental groups have long sought to get the agency to expand the designated habitat.

A news release Monday from the Center for Biological Diversity said federal agencies that fund or permit projects in areas of critical habitat are required to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service to make sure the habitat would not be harmed or destroyed. The proposed rule said critical habitat includes waters up to what is known as the "ordinary high-water line."

The proposal cited issues for manatees such as natural springs having declining water quality and water flow and algae blooms causing seagrass losses.

"Examples of special management considerations or protection that could reduce the threat of warm-water habitat loss may include (but not be limited to): establishing and maintaining minimum flows and levels for springs, lakes, and rivers; conducting spring run restoration projects (e.g., remove excess sediment, stabilize creek banks) and removing or modifying dams and locks to improve access; and enhancing existing warm-water refuges or creating alternate warm-water refuges," the proposal said.

Other examples of potential protections in the proposal include such things as "improving water quality through reductions in nutrient inputs from stormwater, septic tanks, and fertilizers."

The proposal targets certain inland waterways and coastal waters in the 12 areas of the state.

Generally, they are the Wakulla Springs area in Wakulla County; the Manatee Springs and Fanning Springs areas of Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy counties; areas from Withlacoochee Bay to the Anclote River in Levy, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Pinellas counties; areas of Tampa Bay in Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee counties; areas from Venice to Estero Bay in Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties; areas from Rookery Bay to Florida Bay West in Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade counties; an Upper Florida Keys area in Monroe and Miami-Dade counties; areas from Biscayne Bay to Deerfield Beach in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties; areas from Boynton Beach to Fort Pierce in Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties; areas from Vero Beach to the northern Indian River Lagoon in Indian River, Brevard, and Volusia counties; areas of the upper St. Johns River in Lake, Seminole, Volusia, Marion, and Putnam counties; and the Silver Springs area of Marion County.