Pinellas County commissioners are trying to make it easy to preserve the dunes that are being rebuilt after the hurricanes. They passed an ordinance that will prevent people from trampling many of the dunes, and allow landowners to place signs for people to keep off.
Kelli Hammer Levy is the county's public works director. She said it could also help beach landowners who might be hesitant to grant easements that are needed to renourish damaged dunes.
"This also gives residents an opportunity who, you know, part of their concern that they've raised about not providing an easement is not being able to protect their dunes," she told commissioners. "And so they could now place a sign with a county ordinance on it that says no trespassing through the dune, which causes damage."
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The ordinance only applies to unincorporated parts of the county, so beachside cities would also have to sign onto the ordinance as well.
Here's some of the provisions:
- Protects the integrity of dunes along Pinellas County barrier islands by preventing traversing the dunes outside of certain exemptions and as such,
- May provide additional assurances for property owners to consider signing easements for beach nourishments based on the protection of dune areas.
- Prohibits any activity on a dune that requires a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection under F.S. § 161.053 (Coastal Construction and Excavation).
- Recognizes that dune protection is not a special power under the County Charter so any effective municipal ordinance that conflicts will prevail over this ordinance.
- Provides for fines and civil penalties within existing county environmental compliance programs.
The county is working to get new emergency beach nourishment projects permitted for Sand Key, Treasure Island and Long Key. Dunes will be included in some of the project areas in concert with widening and elevating the beaches.
