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Legislative Priorities <br />_\LORâ–ºD%_ <br />Beach Restoration and Renourishment <br />The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has a Beach Management <br />Funding Assistance Program to protect and restore the state's beaches. Erosion leaves <br />miles of beaches, public infrastructure and upland development vulnerable to future storm <br />events as well as impacting tourism. Currently, beach renourishment is funded via docu- <br />mentary stamps along with countless other programs. This leaves beach renourishment <br />projects fighting every year for a very small piece of a large pie. <br />Indian River County, like its sister counties to the north and to the south on Florida's east <br />coast, has a natural nearshore hardbottom resource. This resource is classified as an es- <br />sential fish habitat. It provides foraging and breeding grounds for juvenile fish. Indian River <br />County's beach management plan is specifically customized to maximize the fill while mini- <br />mizing the impact to the nearshore hardbottom resource. <br />Position: Indian River County BCC SUPPORTS the increased flexibility in sources of local <br />funding for beach restoration and renourishment projects. <br />67 <br />12 <br />