BEACH RESTORATION COMPLETE FOR WESTERN WALTON COUNTY
The Walton County TDC moves to Phase II beach restoration for the 30-A Corridor

WALTON COUNTY, Fla.-(Jan. 19, 2007) - After seven years in the making, the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) announces the completion of the Western Walton County Beach Nourishment Project. This project was vital in providing upland protection from future storm surge and for the economic vitality of the county through tourism. The project restored 26,200 feet of beach over five miles in Western Walton County, adding 75-100 feet of beach in these areas.
“It is important to note that this project is a result of a small group of tourism leaders along with the Walton County Commission who had the foresight in 1999 to enact an additional one cent of tourist occupancy tax to be earmarked for specifically for beach nourishment activities, eliminating any financial burden on the county,” said Kriss Titus, executive director of the Walton County TDC. The project was a joint effort between Walton County and the City of Destin, and the overall cost of the project was proposed at $27,733,399 of which Walton County’s responsibility was $19,136,045. The Walton County portion of the project was paid for using bed tax collections, state grants, and a loan that is pledged against future bed tax revenue. Bed tax is paid by visitors on short term rentals. Now that the project has been completed, many find it hard to believe that it took so long. The process began in 2000, after Hurricane Opal and Hurricane Georges, at which time the beaches in Western Walton County were deemed “critically eroded” by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), and qualified for state funding for a large scale beach restoration project. In the same year, the TDC hired a full-time coastal scientist, Brad Pickel, to take the county through the scientific process.

After the completion of a sand source investigation in 2002, which identified quality sand of the same color, size and composition at Destin’s East Pass, the TDC partnered with the county to have Taylor Engineering create a plan for the nourishment of Western Walton County beaches. In 2003, the permitting process began. Moving through this laborious task of gaining permitting, the county faced some unplanned delays. In 2004, a small group of homeowners who opposed the project filed an injunction and began a lawsuit to stop the project. While this was tied up in the legal system, Hurricane Ivan rolled through in 2004, and Tropical Storm Arlene and Hurricane Dennis in 2005. The project finally mobilized in January 2006 and was slated for a 150-day construction timeline. Unfortunately, the project was further delayed by several turtle takings, which shut down the project in May. After getting the permit reinstated in August, it took several months to identify an available dredge through Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. After remobilization in November, the Western Walton County portion of the project is finally completed.

The Dodge Island Dredge will now depart the project in order to complete previously committed project work on the East Coast. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock plans to mobilize the original dredge, the Liberty Island, to begin the Destin portion in April, which they anticipate to be completed in 45-50 days. “Through all the permitting challenges and project delays, the community has been wonderful to work with and we are happy that Phase I is complete. Numerous individuals worked to bring the project to fruition and I am proud to have been part of such an excellent team,” said Brad Pickel, director of beach management with the Walton County TDC. “We’ll now be focusing on the Phase II project for beaches along the 30-A corridor.” The process began for the beaches along the 30-A corridor after Hurricane Dennis in 2005, when DEP deemed 9.3 miles of beaches along the 30-A corridor as “critically eroded.” Taylor Engineering recently completed the sand source investigation. Now these beaches must be resurveyed in order to finalize the design and create the necessary permitting documents. Permit applications will be submitted to the state and federal agencies by the end of May 2007. While it is unclear how long the permitting process will take, county officials are hopeful that permits will be granted within 12 months. Other factors that will impact the project timeline include funding, and the case before the Florida Supreme Court. The economic vitality to the region is heavily dependant on the area’s beaches, and research shows that the beaches are the number one reason people visit the area. Last year, Walton County’s beaches attracted 2.5 million visitors, who spent approximately $684.9 million in Walton County. Tourism supports more than 10,275 jobs and generates approximately $257 million in local income annually. A recent study by the Center for Urban & Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University revealed that beach nourishment also protects the value of upland properties. Single family properties upland of nourished beaches increased more than 30 percent, twice the increase in properties upland of beaches that had not been nourished.

For information regarding Phase II beach restoration project along the 30-A corridor, please visit our website: www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com, or call Tracy Louthain Director of Public Relations & Visitor Services 800-822-6877 ext. 122 or
850-267-1216 ext. 122