Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Establishment of Three Additional Manatee Protection Areas in Florida

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), establish three additional manatee protection areas in Florida. This action is authorized under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), to further recovery of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) by preventing the taking of one or more manatees. We are designating areas in Lee, Duval, Clay, St. Johns, and Volusia counties as manatee refuges in which certain waterborne activities will be regulated. Specifically, watercraft will be required to operate at either slow speed or not more than 40 kilometers per hour (km/h) (25 miles per hour) in areas described in the rule. We also announce the availability of a final environmental assessment for this action.