More money sought to widen beaches
411 miles deemed critically eroded in S. Florida
Although the state spent more this year on beach widening than anytime in a decade, beach advocates say it’s not enough.
They’re asking the state to designate a specific pot of money that can be counted on each year to support local projects that replenish lost sand along the coast.
What’s at stake is more than just offering residents a nice spot to relax and catch rays: The beaches are South Florida’s biggest tourist lure; they contribute to higher property values; and they protect coastal development.
Legislation filed by state Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who heads the Senate appropriations committee, would increase the state’s minimum annual contribution to $50 million, the amount allocated this year. In previous years, the base had been $30 million and sunk to as little as $15 million in 2010 after the Great Recession.
Latvala said his bill, which died this year but has been refiled, would provide a long-term solution to beach renourishment. “Right now, beach renourishment is an annual grab bag based on who is in leadership in each house and which beaches they decide to renourish,” said Latvala, who is running for governor. “This would put it on more of an organized basis, like our road program.”
The bill gives preference to beaches that have high tourism value, which could mean more money for Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. The money for the projects would come from the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund, which was approved by voters in 2014. The fund, which receives one-third of real estate stamp taxes, was established to acquire and protect wildlife habitat, water