7/7/1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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r JUL 071992 8m� 1 A Under discussion, Commissioner Bird reported on his conversation with Pat Rose as follows: Regarding Johns Island, Mr. Rose could not visualize where we could create a channel coming out of tha area, and he asked if we could FAX some additional information or an enlargement of that area to define the route that we would propose boats be allowed to take at the higher speed. Mr. Rose reported that he and his staff anguished a long time over the issue of opening up the Gifford Cut area year round. He said they do show a lot of manatee activity around those islands and along the fringe of those islands and they will look at it, but he seemed pretty defensive about not opening up the area around that group of islands north of Fritz Island. Regarding the area around Hole In The Wall Island, Mr. Rose was quite defensive about that area. He said that they studied that a lot, and because they were giving up the narrows in the off season to the skiers, they felt they had to keep that area on both sides of Hole In The Wall restricted in the hope that the manatees would become accustomed to using the old channel on both sides of Hole In The Wall in their north -south migration and bypass the narrows. Regarding the area between the bridges, Mr. Rose said he would take into consideration the suggestion to keep a slow speed on both sides and keep the idle I_ speed in the canals and the fingers. He agreed to look at the areas of the Moorings and Round Island regarding the 30 mph channels, but he wanted to see if the water was deep enough for the manatee to avoid boats in those proposed higher speed channels. Commissioner Bird did not feel that Pat Rose was warmly receptive to these suggested changes. THE CHAIRMAN CALLED FOR THE QUESTION. It was voted on and carried unanimously. Commissioner Bird led discussion regarding our representation at the meetings of DNR staff and the Governor. He felt we should have legal help to move this process in the right direction and to make the appointments with the aides and Cabinet members. Commissioner Scurlock thought, and the Board members agreed, that our in-house legal staff are capable of assisting Commissioner Bird -and appropriate staff to represent our position at the meeting in Tallahassee on July 21. Commissioner Scurlock felt that his motion at a previous meeting was to authorize just that. In further discussion, Chairman Eggert suggested that the budget workshop, which is scheduled for July 22, begin at 1:00 p.m., rather than 9:00 a.m., to allow for delays staff's return from Tallahassee. That change was approved by the Board. 30