The Florida Senate

161.142  Declaration of public policy relating to improved navigation inlets.--The Legislature hereby recognizes the need for maintaining navigation inlets to promote commercial and recreational uses of our coastal waters and their resources. The Legislature further recognizes that inlets alter the natural drift of beach-quality sand resources, which often results in these sand resources being deposited around shallow outer-bar areas instead of providing natural nourishment to the downdrift beaches. Therefore:

(1)  All construction and maintenance dredgings of beach-quality sand should be placed on the downdrift beaches; or, if placed elsewhere, an equivalent quality and quantity of sand from an alternate location should be placed on the downdrift beaches.

(2)  On an average annual basis, a quantity of sand should be placed on the downdrift beaches equal to the natural net annual longshore sediment transport.

(3)  Construction waterward of the coastal construction control line on downdrift coastal areas, on islands substantially created by the deposit of spoil, located within 1 mile of the centerline of navigation channels or inlets, providing access to ports listed in s. 403.021(9)(b), which suffers or has suffered erosion caused by such navigation channel maintenance or construction shall be exempt from the permitting requirements and prohibitions of subsections (2), (5), and (6) of s. 161.053 The timing and sequence of any construction in such coastal areas shall comply with 44 C.F.R. part 60 and shall provide protection to nesting sea turtles and hatchlings and their habitats and to native salt-resistant vegetation and endangered plant communities.

(4)  The provisions of subsections (1) and (2) shall not be a requirement imposed upon ports listed in s. 403.021(9)(b).

History.--s. 8, ch. 86-138; s. 19, ch. 87-97.