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• <br />9.B. PUBLIC DISCUSSION ITEM - ROBERT "BIBBLE" IRVIN- NEW <br />PROVEN BEACH SURVEYS <br />Bibble Irvin advised that he had found some new evidence about our beach and one <br />area of the proposed sand dredging, the Porpoise Point area. He hoped that he would be able <br />to convince the Board through photographs to drop the idea of sand dredging. He showed <br />a photograph of Porpoise Point which was taken in 1946. He stated that it could be seen <br />where the Navy had come in and bulldozed the dune down completely for about a mile -long <br />area. This was the only area he has noticed any real erosion. He showed a photograph of <br />a Tiki but where it has eroded about 30 feet in the last 40 years, which he felt was not much. <br />He thought it had been eroding because it was right on the point, but when he saw the maps <br />from 1946 and that the dunes had been bulldozed down, he noted that was probably the <br />reason they lost most of their beach there. He showed comparison photographs of Vero <br />Beach's sand with pretty shells and Ft. Pierce's sand which he felt was horrible stuff due to <br />the sand dredging which has taken place on those beaches. Vero Beach is known for its <br />beautiful shells and many people enjoy shelling. The sand dredged beach at Ft. Pierce does <br />not offer the same possibility. He showed a big buildup of sand at Conn Beach, which could <br />be realized by looking at the steps. He had been told of two benefits of sand dredging: 1) to <br />beautify the beaches, but he felt it was anything but beautiful and dangerous besides; and 2) <br />storm protection. He commented that a result to the beach from sand dredging projects <br />causes waves to have more force which pushes the waves over the top. The negatives he <br />listed were: 1) the cost of $50,000,000; 2) escarpments; 3) grey sand; 4) the covering of <br />marine life; 4) food; 5) habitat; 6) the eco -system; 7) sea shelling and beachcombing and <br />many more reasons. He also noted that in almost every area, the people already have <br />seawalls. A photograph of a Sand Point home showed a seawall sticking way out; another <br />photograph indicates the home was built very close to the bluff. There is quite a bit of beach <br />still there and it would be a shame to ruin it with sand dredging. There are many alternatives <br />August 1, 2000 <br />53 <br />• <br />