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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1922 |
| Fort DeSoto Dune Walkovers |
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| Requester: |
Elithia Stanfield |
Organization: |
Culture, Education & Leisure, Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners |
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| Project Title: |
Fort DeSoto Dune Walkovers |
Date Submitted |
1/4/2008 9:46:17 AM |
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| Sponsors: |
Jones |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| Ft. DeSoto Park is over 1,000 acres of coastal park, surrounded by water from Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and accessible only by a bridge leading into the park. The park contains over 7 miles of beach, including North Beach, which was ranked and retired in ranking in 2005 by Dr. Beach (Dr. Stephen Leatherman) as the best beach in the nation. Over 3.1 million visitors annually come to Ft. De Soto for recreational pursuits including its nationally recognized beaches. The historic fort at the park, located immediately adjacent to North Beach and the beaches themselves are the sites of numerous photo shoots, videos and filmed movies along with special events such as Civil War Re-enactments. Scenes from several movies, including The Punisher and a Discovery documentary were filmed on the beaches of Ft. DeSoto Park. All of these activities have a substantial positive economic impact on Pinellas County and the state of Florida as they draw the film industry into this state and concurrently provide economic value and tourist dollars. The national recognition of the # 1 beach in the nation also brings in tourist dollars and is an attraction to national and international visitors. The value of the publicity associated with having the number one beach in the nation is incalculable and promotion of this designation has attracted increased special event activity and eco-tourism. Ft. DeSoto Park beaches are a destination. The protection of the sand dunes that protect historical treasures such as the fort and the beaches themselves is essential to sustaining the use of the facility by the millions of annual visitors. The beaches at the park are also annually used as sea turtle nesting sites by sea turtles that are listed as Federally and State Endangered and Threatened. Ft. DeSoto Park is located on Tampa Bay, the major water body of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, a part of the National Estuary Program. |
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| Recipient: |
Parks & Recreation Department |
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Contact: |
Debbie Chayet |
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631 Chestnut Street |
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Contact Phone: |
(727) 582-2521 |
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Clearwater 33756 |
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Contact email: |
dchayet@pinellascounty.org |
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| Counties: |
Pinellas |
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| Gov't Entity: |
Yes |
Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
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| Project Description: |
| Two short dune walkovers were built in 2006 with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1993 Oil Spill funding. The remaining 7 miles of beaches have no dune walkovers traversing the dunes, which have resulted in substantial damage to the sand dunes in the park from extensive public use. The natural protection of dunes along coastal areas dramatically minimizes the potential for storm damage. Park staff, along with The Friends of Ft. DeSoto and Tampa Bay Watch as partners, has performed two sea oat plantings each year for the past several years to build up the line of sand dunes to protect the park.
This project, as a first phase, calls for the construction of three long dune walkovers at the most critical areas of public use at North Beach. The dune walkovers channel people into acceptable access areas along the beach and provide the disabled a means to get to the beach. They also help protect nesting shorebirds and sea turtles by encouraging people to use only the provided beach access sites. Aerial photos of the beaches clearly show the long term damage done by the lack of dune walkovers.
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| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Construction of three dune walkovers in the highest use area of the beach. Safe pedestrian access to the beach.Disabled access to the beach.
Preservation of delicate and sensitive dune habitat along the beaches of Ft. De Soto Park.
Preservation of state protected sea oats that build up sand dunes.
Preservation of federally threatened sea turtles that nest along the park beaches.Coastal erosion protection from storms as sand dunes are protected from damage via funneling pedestrian traffic along dune walkovers
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$480,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$545,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Construction |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local |
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Cash Amount |
$ |
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In-kind Amount |
$65,000 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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No |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$500,000 |
To Fund: |
Construction |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Pinellas County Land Use Plan |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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No |
