National Recognition for St. Joseph Peninsula Restoration

The beaches of St. Joseph Peninsula are clearly still on the national radar.

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) named St. Joseph Peninsula as winner of the organizations "Best Restored Beach" award, it was announced on Monday, one of seven beaches to make the list this year.

They are not ranked in any particular order, but the award signifies that the beach proclaimed No. 1 in the country seven years ago by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, self-proclaimed Dr. Beach, is back in the spotlight after a rough few years with Mother Nature.

"We are just so darn proud of what we have done," said Paula Pickett in explaining the rationale for putting the restoration of St. Joseph Peninsula in the mix for the "Best Restored Beach" award.

The award is based on three primary criteria:

•·          Storm protection and infrastructure;

•·          Habitat restoration;

•·          Recreational enhancement.

The beach restoration project began after a series of winter and summer storms pushed the ocean ever-closer, if not on top of, property up and down the peninsula. Homeowners paid for new armoring systems, additional sand, but the waves kept creeping ever closer.

Dozens of homes were condemned as unlivable, property was lost.

According to project engineer Michael Dombrowski of MRD Associates, just a year ago a 20-year storm event would have resulted in the loss of 50 to 100 structures.

"Seeing the beaches of Cape San Blas restored was a dream that many thought impossible," said Laurel Eilser, chairman of the committee formed to act as liaison between the county and other stakeholders in the restoration process. "Only by working together as a community were we able to turn this dream into reality.

"I am so proud what we have achieved. Our beaches will provide protection to homes and enjoyment for countless visitors in the years to come. This award is a huge honor for us."

So a group of property owners approached the county for assistance.

After three years of research, design, funding, permitting and completion, the restoration project was one of the fastest projects to move through the process in the state, Pickett said.

"It is your perfect grassroots effort," Pickett continued, thanking all those involved along the way. "They came to the county and the county responded.

"I think the people at the (Florida Department of Environment Protection) were impressed. We had a fresh pair view on the process because we had never been through it before. We went about doing what we had to do and did the paperwork as fast as possible."

The restoration is an investment for the state, but also the property owners along the beaches.

Property owners gulf side of County 30-E voted more than two years ago to assess additional ad valorem taxes on their property to pay for the bonds that represent the local match, roughly 50 percent, for the project.

The commitment remained even after bay side property owners turned down the additional taxes in the county's first-ever mail-out ballot.

"It is an incredible story of how a small group of property owners worked with the county commission, stakeholders and the environmental community to develop a local funding source and construct the $21 million project in such a short period of time," Dombrowski said.

Worth noting is that among the seven projects cited by the ASBPA - the others South Padre Island, TX, Marine Park in Bellingham, WA, Fire Island in New York, Encinitas (Pacific Station) in California and Lido Key in Duval County - only the St. Joseph Peninsula project was completed without federal funds, Pickett said.

"In its own right it was a major undertaking for it not be done using federal funds," Pickett noted.

Pickett added that as the restoration project progressed, the results were evident.

"The proof was in the pudding," Pickett said. "During the storms (last summer) no homes were damaged where there had been restoration. Unfortunately, we lost some in the areas that had not been restored, yet.
"We could see the end of the tunnel; we just could not get there fast enough."

For the past 40 years, beach restoration has been the preferred method of shore protection in coastal communities on the east, west and Gulf coasts, according to a release from ASBPA. Beach restoration is placing beach-quality sand on eroding beaches to reverse or offset the effects of erosion. There are more than 370 restored beaches in the United States.

And the release notes, beaches lure money, some $322 billion injected from beaches into the country's economy in 2007.

"In a time of economic recession, the beach is an even more desirable destination than other domestic and foreign alternatives," Pickett said. "Our beaches are the economic engine, with over 300,000 visitors coming to Gulf County annually; we can't afford to maintain our most valuable asset."