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r DEC 1 tc89 BOOK P,1�E i15 78 The St. Sebastian River: The Committee voted to recommend to the State that the FDNR manatee protection zone proposal for the St. Sebastian River be modified to exclude a proposed 20 m.p.h. speed limit channel in the St. Sebastian River. The Committee recommends that a slow speed zone should be required, throughout that portion of the river. Moreover, the Committee voted to recommend that water vessels powered only by electric trolling motors or paddles should be allowed in the area presently proposed as a "no entry "area (see the attached map). Commercial fisherman applications for speed zone exemptions: The Committee voted to support the establishment of guidelines that would afford the opportunity for commercial fisherman to apply for speed zone exemptions, in cases where such speed zones would cause undue hardship to the fisherman's livelihood. The Ad Hoc Committee arrived at their recommendation only after extensive discussions and taking in account various -concerns and information, such as boating safety, manatee sighting and mortali- ty documentation,•seagrass mapping data, existing dockage facil- ities, and popular recreation -use areas. At one point, the Committee considered exempting certain deepwater access channels (to the .Intracoastal) from slow speed requirements, but concluded that the benefit of a more uniform speed zone for manatee pro- tection out -weighs the loss of a few boating minutes in obtaining access to the slow -speed exempt Intracostal Waterway. RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners adopt a resolution approving the Ad Hoc Manatee Protection and Boating Safety Committee's recommendations and conceptual interim manatee protection speed zone plan, to be forwarded to the FDNR by Decem- ber 26, 1989. Commissioner Bowman stressed that the report of the Ad Hoc Committee must be adopted and sent to the DNR by the 26th of December. Commissioner Eggert asked if she was totally content with the proposed plan, and Commissioner Bowman noted that it is sort ofan interim thing; there will be public input when we get to the point of preparing county ordinances to implement the regulations. This is a preliminary report aimed at preventing the state from coming in and inflicting alt the things they proposed, and it is what the Committee did in response to the Commission's request that we prepare a site specific plan. Commissioner Bird asked if Commissioner Bowman felt that it is a reasonable compromise between protecting the manatees and still allowing a reasonable amount of freedom for the boating public. 7.4