PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla — Local officials are calling on the federal government to take the necessary procedures to begin protecting Florida beaches.
It all stems from a letter Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-District 13) wrote to the federal government pushing them to do the Sand Key beach renourishment project.
The mayor of North Redington Beach explained why this is so important.
"The beaches are the driver for Pinellas County," Mayor Bill Queen said. "Without this sand people won’t be here."
This sand is mostly here because of projects we do to preserve it.
"We need the sand more than anyone else," Queen said. "This is the most eroded beaches, North Redington and Bellaire."
Tampa Bay area beaches get federal and county funds to do renourishment projects. They’re costly.
For example, Queen said the Sand Key project which spans from North Redington to Clearwater is about $40 million. A price he says pays itself back.
"It’s very important for us... for our economic life to have this sand out here," Queen explained.
It's also very important for the environment.
"If we don’t a beach here we won’t have any turtles," Queen said.
Mayors like Queen are pushing on the federal government to do the Sand Key renourishment project.
It’s currently at a pause because the Army Corps of Engineers are requiring all private owners to sign a perpetual easement. Something that was never previously required.
Queen also said the amount of sand on those private beaches is so small in comparison to what the project covers. He said the sand there is just over one percent of sand involved.
Not all private beach owners agreed to sign the perpetual easement.
"They didn’t want to give up their rights and they didn’t want to give up their beach," Queen explained.
Additionally, he said the sand comes with a big benefit for those homeowners.
"You’re getting free millions of dollars of sand to protect your property from storms," he added.
Without all owners agreeing, the Army Corps won’t start the project. That’s why our local representatives Luna wrote a letter to the federal government demanding answers.
"I think that’s where we are getting positive results and positive info," Queen said.
Queen is hopeful the project will pull through. If not, he has a backup plan with county taxpayer dollars.
"If this falls through and we can’t get those federal funds, we will get something on a county level," Queen said.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to the Army Corps of Engineers. They are reviewing representative Luna’s letter and plan to respond in a timely manner.