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improve an existing access to allow increased watercraft usage, the determination of "May affect, not likely
<br />to adversely affect" is appropriate 12 and no further consultation with the Service is necessary.
<br />I On the St. Mary's River, this key is only applicable to those areas that are within the geographical limits of the State of Florida.
<br />All culverts 8 inches to 8 feet in diameter must be grated to prevent manatee entrapment. To effectively prevent manatee
<br />access, grates must be permanently fixed, spaced a maximum of 8 inches apart (may be less for culverts smaller than 16 inches in
<br />diameter) and may be installed diagonally, horizontally or vertically. For new culverts, grates must be attached prior to
<br />installation of the culverts. Culverts less than 8 inches or greater than 8 feet in diameter are exempt from this requirement. If
<br />new culverts and/or the maintenance or modification of existing culverts are grated as described above, the determination of
<br />"May affect, not likely to adversely affect" is appropriatell and no further consultation with the Service is necessary.
<br />3 If the project proponent agrees to follow the standard manatee conditions for in -water work as well as any special conditions
<br />appropriate for the proposed activity, further consultation with the Service is necessary for "May affect, not likely to adversely
<br />affect" determinations. These special conditions may include, but are not limited to, the use of dedicated observers (see Glossary
<br />for definition of dedicated observers), dredging during specific months (warm weather months vs cold weather months), dredging
<br />during daylight hours only, adjusting the number of dredging days, does not preclude or discourage manatee egress/ingress with
<br />turbidity curtains or other barriers that span the width of the waterway, etc.
<br />4 Areas of Inadequate Protection (AIPs), Important Manatee Areas (IMAs), Warm Water Aggregation Areas (WWAAs) and No
<br />Entry Areas are identified on these maps and defined in the Glossary for the purposes of this key. These maps can be viewed on
<br />the Corps' web pa5e. If projects are located in a No Entry Area, special permits may be required from FWC in order to access
<br />these areas (please refer to Chapter 68C-22 F.A.C. for boundaries; maps are also available at FWC's web page).
<br />5 New access for watercraft is the addition or improvement of structures such as, but not limited to, docks or piers, marinas, boat
<br />ramps and associated trailer parking spaces, boat lifts, pilings, floats, floating docks, floating vessel platforms, (maintenance
<br />dredging, residential boat lifts, pilings, floating docks, and floating vessel platforms installed in existing slips are not considered
<br />new access), boat slips, dry storage, mooring buoys, new dredging, etc., that facilitates the addition of watercraft to, and/or
<br />increases watercraft usage in, waters accessible to manatees. The repair or rehabilitation of any type of currently serviceable
<br />watercraft access structure is not considered new access provided all of the following are met: (1) the number of slips is not
<br />increased; (2) the number of existing slips is not in question; and (3) the improvements to the existing watercraft access structures
<br />do not result in increased watercraft usage.
<br />6 Projects proposed within the St. Johns River portion of Lake, Marion, and Seminole counties and contiguous with Volusia
<br />County shall be evaluated using the Volusia County MPP.
<br />7 For projects proposed within the following areas: the Peace River in DeSoto County; all areas north of Craig Key in Monroe
<br />County, and the Anclote and Pithlachascotee Rivers in Pasco County, proceed to Couplet M. For all other locations in DeSoto,
<br />Monroe (south of Craig Key) and Pasco Counties, proceed to couplet N.
<br />8 Where the presence of the referenced vegetation is confirmed within the area affected by docks and other piling -supported
<br />minor structures and the reviewer has concluded that the impacts to SAV, marsh or mangroves would not adversely affect the
<br />manatee or its critical habitat, proceed to couplet O.
<br />Where the presence of the referenced vegetation is confirmed within the area affected by docks and other piling -supported minor
<br />structures and the reviewer has concluded that the impacts to SAV, marsh or mangroves would adversely affect the manatee or its
<br />critical habitat, the applicant can elect to avoid/minimize impacts to that vegetation. In that instance, where impacts are
<br />unavoidable and the applicant elects to abide by or employ construction techniques that exceed the criteria in the following
<br />documents, the reviewer should conclude that the impacts to SAV, marsh or mangroves would not adversely affect the manatee
<br />or its critical habitat and proceed to couplet O.
<br />- "Construction Guidelines in Florida for Minor Piling -Supported Structures Constructed in or over Submerged Aquatic
<br />Vegetation (SAV), Marsh or Mangrove Habitat," prepared jointly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National
<br />Marine Fisheries Service (August 2001) [refer to the Corps' web pa¢el, and
<br />- "Key for Construction Conditions for Docks or Other Minor Structures Constructed in or over Johnson's seagrass
<br />(Halophila johnsonii)," prepared jointly by the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
<br />(October 2002), for those projects within the known range of Johnson's seagrass occurrence (Sebastian Inlet to central
<br />Biscayne Bay in the lagoon systems on the east coast of Florida) [refer to the Corps' web page],
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