It costs a lot of money to keep Florida’s beaches “postcard ready.” How much sand is on your favorite beach? In some cases, not quite enough.
This past spring, Pinellas County State Senator Jack Latvala and Representative Kathleen Peters sponsored bills aimed at saving the state’s beaches from continued erosion.
Coastal management legislation that would have, among other things, created a three-year work plan for prioritizing which renourishment projects to fund each year overwhelmingly passed the Senate but failed to make it through the House. But lawmakers did agree to dedicate a minimum of $50 million for renourishment efforts – more than the state has given to beaches in over a decade.
The state budget still awaits Governor Scott’s approval, although he too called to set aside $50 million for beach renourishment in his budget proposal earlier this year.
This week on Florida Matters we’re talking about beach renourishment, and whether that proposed boost in state funding is enough to tackle the issue of coastal erosion across the state.
Our guests include:
- State Representative Kathleen Peters (R-Treasure Island).
- Robin Sollie, President and CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce.
- Andy Squires, Coastal Resources Manager for Pinellas County and board member with the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association.
- Ryan Mills, reporter with the Naples Daily News. Mills co-produced last year’s Shrinking Shores series which helped shed light on Florida’s beach erosion problem.
Is your favorite beach slipping away due to erosion? Share your thoughts and photographs with us in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
