Boat Facility Siting Plan

Timeframe: Contact: Lenore Alpert 954-762-5255 lalpert@fau.edu Sponsor: Broward County Environmental Protection Department

The Broward County Environmental Protection Department has an agreement with CUES to develop the Boat Facility Siting Plan (BFSP) portion of the county’s Comprehensive Plan Conservation Element. This is the third and final part of the Broward County Manatee Protection Plan and is expected to be approved by the County Commission in early 2006. A major goal is to minimize interactions between manatees and boats.

CUES is working with academic experts and professionals in the field to fulfill the requirements outlined by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Data from a wide array of sources is being collected and analyzed. Facility siting criteria will be based primarily on the following: (1) watercraft-related manatee deaths in a particular waterway, (2) watercraft-related manatee deaths en route to the nearest inlet, and (3) distance to the nearest tidal inlet or other significant destination. These criteria will be used for applications for development or modifications to existing boating facilities so that impacts to manatees and their habitats can be addressed when applications are reviewed.

On August 19, 2005, the County convened its Manatee Core Stakeholder Group for a review of the revised Boat Siting Criteria and Analysis. Recommendations are being proposed for boat slip densities, enhanced law enforcement, and improved public/boater education and awareness about manatees. The third and final public workshop will be held in Fall 2005.