As one of 13 original "key counties," Lee County was required by the state of Florida to develop a Manatee Protection Plan. This Plan, approved in 2004, is organized to present a discussion of manatees and an analysis of manatee abundance in Lee County. An evaluation of boating activity, and the identification of evaluation criteria for the development or expansions of boat facilities follows. Finally, thresholds and policies are presented to outline Boat Facility siting criteria in Lee County and define how the plan is to be used and how preferred boat facility projects differ from non-preferred projects. Use of the plan depends heavily on a geographic information system (GIS) analysis, which is regularly updated as new data become available.

Download a copy of the Lee County Manatee Protection Plan.

For questions about the plan or to request a GIS evaluation of your boating project, contact us via email or by calling 239-533-8109.