followed up on these discussions later that same month in 
Washington. Those and subsequent meetings involving the 
staffs of the Florida Department of Natural Resources, the 
Corps of Engineers, and the Commission concluded favorably 
when the Corps agreed in October to provide the necessary 
funds and logistical support to post 91 additional signs. 
The negotiation of contracts for the work is to be completed 
in early 1981 and the signs are to be in place by early 
summer. 
The Fish and Wildlife Service had, by mid-1979, completed 
a draft Manatee Recovery Plan on which the Commission commented 
in detail on 25 July 1979. The Commission, emphasizing the 
need for action-oriented planning, recommended that the 
Plan's content, format, and process for updating be revised 
to precisely identify specific actions, schedules, and 
resources that the Service would commit to protect and 
encourage the species' recovery. In December, the Commission 
further commented on the next iteration noting that, although 
the Plan was substantially improved, it still did not contain 
the specific implementation plans earlier recommended by the 
Commission. During its February meeting, the Commission 
learned that the most recently reviewed draft was being 
considered for formal approval by the Director of the Fish 
and Wildlife Service. Although the Plan did not yet include 
the detailed, action-oriented implementation appendices 
recommended by the Commission, the Service agreed that such 
plans were needed, would be developed, and would be added to 
the approved Plan upon completion. On 15 April 1980, the 
Director of the Service, in approving the West Indian Manatee 
Recovery Plan, noted that, with the assistance of the Manatee 
Recovery Activities Coordinator, it would be updated and 
revised as soon as possible to include specific implementation 
plan appendices. 
In early summer, the Commission suggested to the Fish 
and Wildlife Service that it convene a meeting of key personnel 
to review general progress and the activities of the Manatee 
Recovery Activities Coordinator, particularly with reference 
to the Recovery Plan. The Service responded promptly, and 
held the meeting on 23 June. It became clear that the 
Manatee Recovery Activities Coordinator had, of necessity, 
worked on many problems more appropriately handled by the 
Service's management staff, and, as a result, had not had 
the necessary time to complete the Recovery Plan appendices. 
To remedy this, the Service assigned full-time responsibility 
for manatee management activities to a staff member in 
Florida, thereby allowing the Manatee Recovery Activities 
Coordinator to concentrate on longer-term problems like the 
Recovery Plan. As a result, appendices were prepared and 
reviewed by representatives of the Service, the Commission, 
