Buchanan bill seeks scenic designation, enhanced protections for Little Manatee River
.jpg "Congressman Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, is making a second attempt to protect the Little Manatee River, which originates in Hillsborough County, with a scenic river designation. After the bill didn’t receive a vote in 2020, Buchanan submitted identical legislation seeking to give the river attention from federal officials.")
New legislation from U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan seeks to protect the Little Manatee River from development while cementing the waterway as a recreational destination.
The Little Manatee Wild and Scenic River Act would officially designate a 51-mile stretch of the river, which runs from southern Hillsborough County into Manatee County, as scenic. That designation would also add the Little Manatee River to the National Park Service’s Wild and Scenic River System, giving it enhanced protections.
“Protecting Florida’s beautiful lands and pristine waterways should always be a top priority,” Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said in a statement released Monday. “Southwest Florida is blessed with many natural treasures including Sarasota Bay, Emerson Point Preserve and Myakka River State Park.”
“Designating the Little Manatee River as ‘scenic’ will ensure that it is kept in its current pristine condition for future generations to enjoy,” he added.
Buchanan submitted an identical bill last year, but it did not receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The state of Florida already recognizes the Little Manatee River as an “Outstanding Florida Water.” The blackwater river originates near Fort Lonesome in Hillsborough and flows in a northeasterly direction, exiting into Tampa Bay.
If the scenic designation is approved, the National Park Service will work with local government officials to put together a Little Manatee River management plan, which would detail any protections for the natural environment and ways to promote public use with the “goal of protecting and enhancing the values that caused it to be designated.”
The National Park Service notes that a scenic river designation does not prevent development outright. Instead, the agency encourages “voluntary stewardship” from landowners and river uses, along with regulations from government agencies.
While discouraging “intrusive development,” the scenic designation would allow for the river to still be used for boating, fishing, kayaking and other activities.
Buchanan first began pursuing the scenic designation for the Little Manatee River in 2019. The Manatee County Commission voted unanimously to throw their support behind the pursuit. In a press release, Commissioner Vanessa Baugh praised Buchanan’s conservation efforts.
“We are so blessed to have so many beautiful natural resources in Manatee and protecting them should always come first. I thank Congressman Buchanan for his diligence in staying the course to get this waterway protected so that we can all enjoy it for years to come,” Baugh said. “This waterway is one of the most beautiful in our area and it is full of wildlife and fish that we need to make sure remain, and, with this designation, we will make sure it is always as beautiful tomorrow as it is today.”
The Little Manatee Wild and Scenic River Act will require approval from the House and the U.S. Senate before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk.
