Higher Ground |
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Florida’s beaches are under siege—from poorly-sited coastal development; inadequate coastal construction setback policies, stronger and more frequent erosion-causing storms; and slow-rising sea levels. |
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Of the 829 miles of sandy beaches in Florida, almost half (46 percent) are categorized by the state as “critically eroding.” The root causes are poorly-sited coastal development; inadequate coastal construction setback policies; navigation inlets; sea wall construction; stronger and more frequent erosion-causing storms; and slow-rising sea levels. As private properties along the coast are threatened by erosion, panicked beachfront residents and resource managers are looking for relief through costly, repetitive beach nourishment projects and the construction of unsightly and harmful sea walls. Meanwhile, state and federal subsidies continue to encourage shoreline development by providing low cost insurance for the riskiest beachfront developments—all at taxpayers' expense. This combination of factors threatens the future of Florida's beaches and coastal ecosystems. Caught in the middle are threatened and endangered sea turtles that nest on Florida beaches, home to 90 percent of all sea turtle nesting in the United States. |
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Higher Ground Friday, February 29 Director: Country of Origin: Country of Focus: Length: |
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