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6. Beach Restoration and Renourishment Background: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has a Beach Management Funding Assis- tance Program to protect and restore the state's beaches. Erosion leaves miles of beaches, public infrastructure and upland development vulnerable to the next storm event as well as impacting tourism. Currently, beach re - nourishment is funded via documentary stamps along with countless other programs. This leaves beach renour- ishment projects fighting every year for a very small piece of a large pie. Indian River County, like its sister counties to the north and to the south on Florida's east coast, has a natural nearshore hardbottom resource. This resource is classified as an essential fish habitat. It provides foraging and breeding grounds for juvenile fish. Indian River County's beach management plan is specifically customized to maximize the fill while minimizing the impact to the nearshore hardbottom resource. Position: Indian River County BCC SUPPORTS the creation of a newly dedicated and reoccurring statutory funding source for beach restoration and renourishment projects; and OPPOSES policies that would change or modify the criteria used by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to rank eligible beach renourish- ment projects that would negatively impact communities interested in protecting nearshore hardbottom resources. SB 325, which revises the criteria used by FDEP to prioritize coastal restoration projects based upon need and importance, passed. The bill adds additional detail to the criteria FDEP considers when ranking beach management and erosion control projects. Specifically, the bill directs FDEP to imple- ment a four -tiered scoring system to rank annual project funding priorities by July 1, 2020. The bill also updates FDEP's Comprehensive Long -Term Beach Management Plan development process, requiring a strategic beach management plan, critically eroded beaches report, and a three-year work plan. In past years, this legislation also included $50 million in recurring funding for the beach program; however, this section was removed, and the bill now only includes policy changes. The appropriation for beach renourishment projects does include funding for the County's Sector 5 project for approximately $1.9 million 86