Chapter III — Species of Special Concern 
facilitate judicial review of manatee protection rule 
violations; Oversee manatee rescue and rehabilitation 
activities, including preparation of a plan for large- 
scale rescues in the event of a catastrophic incident; 
and generally oversee cooperative recovery work, 
including updating the Recovery Plan and convening 
meetings of the Manatee Recovery Team. 
Most of the Service’s management responsibilities 
are carried out by the regional office’s Endangered 
Species Field Office in Jacksonville, Florida. To help 
carry out many of the above-mentioned tasks, the 
Commission recommended that the Service hire a 
technician trained in the use of computer-based 
geographic information systems and that it support the 
Field Office manatee program at the following levels 
over the next five fiscal years: $400,000 in 1993; 
$314,000 in 1994; $263,000 in 1995; $279,000 in 
1996; and $295,000 in 1997. 
In addition to the above matters, several National 
Wildlife Refuges administered by the Service con- 
tribute directly to manatee protection and offer valu- 
able opportunities to educate the public about manatee 
conservation issues and needs. One of the most 
important refuges for manatees is the Crystal River 
National Wildlife Refuge in Florida’s Kings Bay. The 
bay, fed by natural warm-water springs, is an essen- 
tial winter refuge for more than 200 manatees. The 
presence of manatees and the chance to dive in the 
bay’s clear, warm waters attract tens of thousands of 
visitors annually. 
To assure that refuge visitors are aware of manatee 
protection rules in the bay and to enhance public 
awareness of manatee issues generally, the Service 
recognizes the need for a strong public education 
program. However, it has not yet been able to 
establish such a program. Therefore the Commis- 
sion’s letter of 17 June 1992 also recommended that 
the Service add a public use specialist to the refuge 
staff and provide $50,000 to design refuge exhibits, 
brochures, and programs to explain facts, issues, and 
needs concerning manatee protection. 
The Service responded positively to these recom- 
mendations by letter of 15 July 1992. It noted that 
continuing high levels of human-caused mortality 
15 
demonstrate that recovery work still lags behind 
recovery needs. It also noted that it agreed with the 
Commission’s recommended task and funding priori- 
ties and that it intended to strive to meet those needs. 
Refuge Expansion — By separate letter of 17 June 
1992 to the Service, the Commission also recommend- 
ed measures to expand National Wildlife Refuges in 
Florida to better protect manatee habitat. As noted 
above, Crystal River is one of Florida’s most essential 
manatee habitats. Important land acquisitions were 
made by the Service and the State along the Crystal 
River and its headwaters in Kings Bay in the early- 
and mid-1980s. Since then, the State has retained an 
active project to acquire much of the river’s shoreline. 
However, progress has stalled, prompting the pro- 
ject’s priority ranking to decline. To help move 
acquisition forward, the Commission recommended 
that the Service reexamine refuge acquisition along the 
Crystal River to assist the State’s efforts. 
The Commission also recommended steps to 
protect a recently identified manatee habitat in the 
Sebastian River on Florida’s east coast. This river 
lies north of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, 
and the Service recently began discussions with the 
State to allow staff of the Pelican Island refuge to 
manage the river’s State-owned submerged lands. 
Discussions during the Commission’s review sug- 
gested that the proposal had merit. Therefore, in its 
letter, the Commission urged the Service to actively 
pursue its negotiations with the State. 
Recovery Plan Update — The Florida Manatee 
Recovery Plan adopted by the Service in 1989 covers 
a five-year planning period ending in Fiscal Year 
1993. Recognizing that no one agency or organiza- 
tion has either the authority or resources to do all that 
could or should be done, the plan has successfully 
fostered and guided cooperative Federal, State, 
academic, industry, and public involvement in recov- 
ery work. To remain useful, it must be updated. 
Thus, another major objective of the Commission’s 
review was to assess needs for updating the plan. 
During the review, Service representatives noted 
the impending need to revise the plan but that work 
had not yet been started. Therefore, to help begin the 
