Enforcement for remove it or lose it?

No wonder so much tequila is consumed in SoWal!!

So, is that a Dargarita invite? ;-)

So, is that a Dargarita invite? ;-)

Or a really funny excuse!

Saw several tents piled high with all sorts of junk at the end of the day between Mistral and Watersound in Seacrest. Several groups of rental chairs and umbrella's too that were NOT picked up according to someone I spoke to that lives on the beach there. The tents stayed overnight also and must seem like a brick wall to any turtle that wants to lay her eggs on the beach. Long beach walks are no longer enjoyable especially when you have to navigate around all this stuff and watch for holes at the same time.

I really don't see that much on our end, but the thought just frustrates me!

So, is that a Dargarita invite? ;-)

Depends on how much crap is on the beach and how many tools try and justify it, which just ramps up my frustration level, which in turn makes margaritas look delish.

But, yeah, OK. One of your old neighbors is asking about ya.

BMB early morning report...volleyball net, pink rafts, umbrella very close to shore and the same green professional looking chairs/umbrellas stacked up near the dune. Can also spot some holes that have been left unfilled.

Code Enforcement....850-622-0000

Save the turtles.

According to an article in today's Sun it will not do any good to call Code Enforcement due to the fact that, once again, the "private beach" issue has muddied the waters regarding pick up on "their" beaches. A new ordinance has to be written or the present one revised.

In the meantime, Code Enforcement could still be called for anything that looks like it is in the public access area. Don't those pubic access areas range from 6 to 33 feet or more in some places. Certainly anything on public state park property or county park or access points should be cleared. Doesn't the public access go all the way down to the water, to pick up on another line of thought out there. There was a requirement for clearance, perhaps up to 50 feet, around dune lake outfalls.

I think the key might be to say it is abandoned. They will only pick up stuff that has been there awhile.

Grayton was fairly clear at sunset, today, except for one tent, one tent frame, one hula skirt-looking umbrella with a pile of crap under it, and a boatload of crap (literally) overflowing with tent, boogie board, big bag of something, and they parked the inflatable raft directly adjacent to the TDC trashcans. OOPS!

and they parked the inflatable raft directly adjacent to the TDC trashcans. OOPS!

Yea, they usually pick up everything that is around the cans. So I would imagine if stuff "migrated" somewhere near the cans it would be removed.;-)

According to an article in today's Sun it will not do any good to call Code Enforcement due to the fact that, once again, the "private beach" issue has muddied the waters regarding pick up on "their" beaches. A new ordinance has to be written or the present one revised.

That will take a couple of years......again.

According to an article in today's Sun it will not do any good to call Code Enforcement due to the fact that, once again, the "private beach" issue has muddied the waters regarding pick up on "their" beaches. A new ordinance has to be written or the present one revised.

Don't endangered species laws apply to "private beaches" too? As a private owner, I think you would be 100% liable for any death or injury to an endangered species on your property if caused by entanglement in your stuff that was left on the beach. FYI that means very large fines and/or jail time. The federal FWS does not play around.

"Private" owners should take note that this ordinance helps you, even if you don't think it is enforceable on your property. Enforcement on your property would not be necessary if you and/or your guests kept "your" beach clean. Please be good stewards even if you don't live here year round, and if you do live here year round, you should know better by now.

Don't endangered species laws apply to "private beaches" too?

They do. I was going to post a link to the county web site here, but I could not find the page with the info about the habitat conservation plan. The county site appears to be under revision.
Anyway, because of the seawalls that were allowed after the hurricane, the county is under pressure from the feds to come up with a plan to protect the beaches for endangered species. This would include a turtle lighting ordinance and quite probably an ordinance about clearing the beaches at night. But the county has been stalling. There is, as you may have noticed, no turtle lighting ordinance again this season. :angry:
Personally I think the stalling will last at least until November. If the Republicans lose the White House, then you might see some action from the feds. Right now the "private' beach owners lobby seems more powerful than whatever the feds might do.

When are THE? Beaches of the Panhandle gonna "get it?"

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SANIBEL:

On 4 June 1991, the Sanibel City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 91-17 which established regulations governing the use of furniture and beach equipment on the Sanibel beaches. For years I have been recording the damage done to loggerhead sea turtles seeking to nest and to their eggs as a result of the ever-increasing inventories of privately owned beach furniture. Some of the resort areas along the beautiful and famous Sanibel beach have literally become cluttered with furniture that is generally in disrepair and, in my opinion, quite unsightly. Its presence despoils the character of Sanibel, destroys the beach vista, and ruins the beach's value as a quality beach experience (one of the Island's main attractions which directly benefits the resorts).

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HOLMES BEACH

Property owners and tenants can greatly contribute to the conservation of these creatures by following the City?s ordinances and Florida Department of Environmental Protection guidelines by closing blinds/shades/draperies or turning off all lighting facing the beach from SUNSET to SUNRISE. The law also provides that all beach furniture (i.e. chairs, tables, tents, sunflys, etc.) must be removed from the beach as well.

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LEE COUNTY

Lee County residents will now be fined for leaving beach furniture out after dusk from May 1 until October 31. The Lee County code was amended and approved last August to include beach furniture and equipment. Dune vegetation issues and more beach lighting stipulations were also added.
Lee County?s definition of furniture and equipment includes chairs, tables, cabanas, umbrellas, sailboats, tents, bicycles, personal watercraft, canoes, and the like. All beach furniture must be removed from the beach from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. during turtle nesting season, and to be stored behind the landward edge of dune vegetation.

Seems pretty cut and dried to me - endangered species are in trouble, there's local support, and other places in Florida already have similar legislation.

HELLO local gov't!!!

Seems pretty cut and dried to me - endangered species are in trouble, there's local support, and other places in Florida already have similar legislation.

HELLO local gov't!!!

Maybe some fear "Endangered Profits." Gawd forbid we should pizz off some of our 'entitled' cash cows.

.

I don't think the County has to create new ordinances. They just need to enforce existing ordinances.

SJ, there is no existing turtle lighting ordinance.

I'm pretty sure there is a turtle lighting ordinance. Neighbors had to get their exterior lighting plans & fixtures approved by the DEP.

SJ, there is no existing turtle lighting ordinance.

oops. I was referring to camping items left on the beach.

I am totally lost on the lighting ordinance, if one exists. I attended a BCC meeting about a year ago, where they were adopting a lighting ordinance, but there was a great deal of issue as to how it would be enforced, and it was already sounding like a nightmare regarding enforcement, since Code Enforcement would have to investigate any calls. Obviously, the lights would be a problem only at night, and Code Enforcement doesn't work at night, so they were suggesting that one CE officer remain on call. If a phone call came in on lighting violation, that officer would drive down (probably from Defuniak Springs), and investigate with his light-meter. If there was no violation, the BCC was suggesting that the person reporting the problem being fined after a second call-in. blah, blah, blah.

I thought they had passed the ordinance, but it was all very vague as to the enforcement. Maybe they just tabled it until they could decide how to properly enforce it.

The DEP or DFW has laws governing the Sea Turtles and crap on the beach. The County also has ordinance against camping on the beach. Camping doesn't necessarily mean sleeping over night. Establishing a campsite -- eg - tent and chairs, should be enough to cover that base.

I'm pretty sure there is a turtle lighting ordinance. Neighbors had to get their exterior lighting plans & fixtures approved by the DEP.

The DEP has jurisdiction at the CCCL for new construction and for substantial remodels. Everything in those categories should have turtle friendly lights. But there is no local turtle lighting ordinance that addresses existing beachfront properties or properties in the second, third and further back tiers that impact the beach. I know this sounds confusing so here is an example. The Seagrove Villas. They have been there a long time, do not have turtle friendly lights and are not required to. If Nature Walk had proceeded and torn down the Villas, the replacement would be required by DEP to have turtle lights. But not required to by the county. And the DEP's jurisdiction stops at the CCCL.
Does this help?

I attended a BCC meeting about a year ago, where they were adopting a lighting ordinance,

I'm pretty sure this was the other lighting ordinance, the one that deals with light trespass, glare, uplighting, etc. The county chose to consider these issues seperate from the turtle lighting ordinance.

I thought you were probably referring just to stuff on the beach, but it sort of sounded like it might mean turtle lighting too, because the thread had drifted on to endangered species.

We usually pick up whatever trash is left around the Inlet Beach access and either give it to the Cty guys who patrol or heap it by the garbage can, but I seem to incur the wrath of whatever group is renting or even owners with beachfront property when I suggest they 1) fill in the damn holes they dig, or 2) take down that ugly canopy at night, or 3) drop the volleyball net since no one has played in three days. Maybe it's my face or my voice, but I usually get some pretty nasty rejections. Please, please get something with teeth in it before we are overwhelmed by this unsightly garbage/trash/beach paraphenalia.

Hey, I need a canopy tent or two, but I don't want to pay for it...could there be a win-win situation for me?