One of Florida's largest manatee habitats could get even bigger. U.S. Fish and Wildlife wants to expand a sanctuary for the mammals in King's Bay of Citrus County.

The county's Tea Party Patriots have gathered hundreds of people against the plan, because they say it's not about saving manatees. They say it's about saving our Constitutional rights.

Fish and Wildlife says manatee populations are on the rise-- proof that protections for the animals are working. However, more manatees need more space to live, but a the Tea Party Patriots in Citrus County say bigger manatee habitats should not come at the cost of the rights of people.

It's a town and an economy, in Crystal River, that depend on manatees.

"They come from all over the world. We had people today from Denmark, from Germany. They come from all over the world to have a chance to swim with the manatees," says Gail George. She works at an ice cream shop right on King's Bay and sees tourists year-round.

Clearly, Crystal River is big on the marine mammals, but Edna Mattos is big on her beliefs-- her belief that government should butt-out.

"There seems to be a distancing from what our founders intended, from what's stated in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights," Mattos believes. She's a leader of the Citrus County Tea Party Patriots. The group is getting involved with Mattos's fight over Fish and Wildlife's plan to expand a manatee sanctuary in King's Bay.

"We want to educate, motivate, and activate," says Mattos, activate against a proposal to put year-round speed limits on boats in the bay, helping keep manatees alive.

People in Crystal River don't like the part of the plan requiring slower speeds in summer. Residents believe the majority of the manatees are out in the Gulf that time of year and a speed restriction would choke summer recreation.

Fish & Wildlife says some manatees are around all year, and officials don't want those mammals sliced, and possibly killed, by boat propellers. Officials will also issue stickers to local boat-owners to allow them to use the waterways, restricted or not.

For Mattos and her fellow Tea-Partiers, it's even bigger. They say it's government destroying private property rights. "How does it affect property rights?" Mattos explains, "Who is going to buy your property if you can't have freedom?"

U.S. Fish and Wildlife experts disagree, saying, "Manatee protection areas are designated in the water and do not include land parcels. Public and private waterfront owners retain [water-based] access to their properties."

"I would like to see Fish & Wildlife get away, move, get out. We can handle this ourselves," Mattos rebuts.

Officials have not made any final decisions about the expanded manatee protections and are still taking public input on the matter.

To find out more about the specific proposals, visit the FWS website.

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