ETWP; Proposed Rule To Establish an Addititonal Manatee Sancturary in Kings Bay, Crystal River, FL

The Service proposes to establish an additional West Indian manatee (Trichecus manatus) sanctuary in Citrus County, Florida, adjacent to Kings Bay/Crystal River at the confluence of the Three Sisters Spring run with a residential canal. All waterborne activities in the sanctuary would be prohibited from November 15 through March 31 of each year. The proposed action would help prevent the taking of manatees by harassment resulting from waterborne activities during the winter months. The number of sanctuaries in Kings Bay would be increased to seven to accommodate the increase in the number of manatees using the area each winter and to offset harassment from increasing public use. Due to insufficient time to complete preparations for establishing a permanent sanctuary before cold weather arrives, an emergency rule is published elsewhere in today's Federal Register to provide the manatee with immediate protection for a period of 120 days. This action is proposed under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended.