Is the manatee refuge designation the same as an area designated as a National Wildlife Refuge?
A3: No. While manatee refuges designated under the ESA/MMPA and National Wildlife Refuges designated under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 are both called refuges, the two differ. Manatee refuges are established solely to protect manatees against threats. They are protection areas designated in the water and are not land acquisitions or land parcels. As stated above, manatee refuges are areas in which the Service has determined that certain waterborne activities would result in the taking of one or more manatees, or that certain waterborne activities must be restricted to prevent the taking of one or more manatees. This Kings Bay manatee refuge joins an existing federal manatee protection network that includes 11manatee sanctuaries and 13 manatee refuges that already exist. National Wildlife Refuges are federal lands set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants.
Related Questions
- Does National Wildlife Federation purchase property or accept property to be designated as a wildlife refuge? What about donations of cars and other vehicles?
- Is Meadow Valley Wildlife Area part of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge?
- How is an area designated as a local or national landmark district?
