Some sand dollars are slipping through state fingers
Lawmakers say the state's beach renourishment budget, though cut, is still in workable shape.
By AMY WIMMER
Published June 1, 2003
ST. PETE BEACH - The state budget that cut cultural arts programs and raised college tuition also cut dollars for beach renourishment.
But proponents of pumping sand onto beaches say they could have fared worse.
"We've held on," said state Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, "considering the terrible budget that we have."
Gov. Jeb Bush originally proposed cutting the $30-million renourishment fund in half. The Legislature instead trimmed it by one-fourth Tuesday, leaving $22.5-million for renourishment projects in 2003-2004.
More important, Jones says, beach funds are protected for future years. Jones and state Rep. John Carassas, R-Belleair, pushed through legislation that prevents local governments from diverting their dedicated beach renourishment dollars to other parts of their budgets, a move the Pinellas County Commission tried last year before renourishment proponents protested loudly.
Also, renourishment supporters thwarted attempts to take away the dedicated funding source for the state's portion of beach projects.
How the cuts will affect renourishment of Upham Beach in St. Pete Beach and Sunset Beach in Treasure Island remains uncertain.
Upham was scheduled to be renourished in spring 2003 and was funded as part of the current budget. But the project has been delayed until spring 2004, and in the meantime, the money slated for the 2003 renourishment was spent on cost overruns from the last time it was renourished in 2000.
"They definitely need new dollars," said Debbie Flack, a lobbyist for the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association, who added that she is certain the state will find money for its portion of the Upham project, possibly with Department of Environmental Protection emergency funds.
Three years ago, the governor came to Treasure Island to sign the Dennis Jones Beach Management Act, which guarantees that at least $30-million from documentary stamp money will be used to pump sand onto beaches.
This year, Bush proposed dipping into that fund - one of many "trust funds" set aside to pay for specific programs - to help balance the state budget.
Jones said he is disappointed that the Legislature did not honor the trust fund and budget $30-million for beach renourishment. Now, he fears, the federal government will be less willing to pay for as much as 65 percent of beach renourishment costs around the state.
"Unfortunately, we still do have the problem that once we backed off that $30-million, which was our chipped-in-stone, so to speak, agreement with the federal government, it does basically put us at risk of losing those federal dollars that will probably never be returned," Jones said.
Flack said few projects will take a serious hit with the $7.5-million cut. The state had budgeted $1.2-million to study the feasibility of renourishing some new beaches, but those plans were cut in favor of finishing projects already planned.
A first-time renourishment in Destin probably will receive only part of the $7-million planned, and another beach that might be affected is Ocean Ridge in Palm Beach County, Flack said.
