1996-013 Preservation & Funding of BeachesRESOLUTION NO. 13-96
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A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE' COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM
};IiACH, FLORIDA, REQUESTING THE 1996 FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO PROVIDE
ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR THE PRESERVATION AND REPAIR OF THE STATE'S
BIiACI IF,S, TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR FUNDING NON-FEDERAL PROJECTS, AND
"1'O IDENTIFY ALONG-TERM DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE.
W}IEREAS, Florida's beaches are an important part of the quality of life of this community,
providing aesthetic, environmental, hurricane mitigation, and recreational benefits for our
residents and tourists; and
WIIfiREAS, beaches continue to be Florida's number one tourist attraction and are thus vital to
our economic well-being, generating over $9 billion in beach-related sales annually and
contributing to a ripple effect to the Florida economy of over $16 billion; and
WHF:RL'AS, the Village of North Palm Beach recognizes that severe beach erosion continues to
be a major problem in Florida, with coastal development threatening this important natural
resource; and
• WHEREAS, federal funding for beach and inlet projects is declining, resulting in delays in
implementing needed erosion projects and putting more pressure on state and local sources; and
W}Il?REAS, since navigation inlets cause some 80% of beach erosion in Florida, the most cost-
effective way to reduce erosion is to recapture sand from inlets and place it on the eroded
downdriR beaches; and
WHEREAS, as a matter of long-standing policy, the Legislature has given priority to funding
those beach and inlet projects which have substantial federal matching money; and
WI IEREAS, the state legislature has historically demonstrated a commitment to the preservation
of Florida's beaches, and now must recognize the critical environmental and economic need to
maintain or repair our beaches, with or without the financial assistance of the federal government.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF NORTH PALM
BFsACII, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The Village Council of North Palm Beach requests that the state legislature
provide adequate annual funding to carry out a statewide comprehensive beach management
program to protect Florida's remaining pristine beaches and repair those that are severely
damaged, and consider the Department of Environmental Protection 1996-97 budget request of
• $36.8 million.
Section 2. The Village Council of North Palm Beach further requests that since
• navigation inlets are the primary cause of beach erosion in Florida, the Legislature, in its beach
management funding strategy, give inlet sand bypassing equal priority with traditional beach
nourishment projects.
Section 3. 7'he Village Council of North Palm Beach requests that in cases where the
federal government has not yet appropriated matching funds for projects, and where local
governments are willing to "loan" the federal share in order to deal quickly with an urgent
erosion problem, the Legislature, as a matter of policy, will consider such "loans" by local
governments to be the equivalent of the federal matching share for the project.
Section 4. The Village Council of North Palm Beach finally requests that the state
legislature give serious consideration to identification of, and dedication of, a fair and stable
source of long-term funding to fully implement a statewide beach management program for
preserving and restoring Florida's threatened sandy beaches.
Section 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
1'ASSF.D AND ADOPTED THIS 22nd DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1996.
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A7"PEST:
Village Clerk
Mayor
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