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Stand Your Sand Day June 4

Teresa avatar
SoWal Guide
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Stand Your Sand Day, Love Your Lakes, Love Your Parks! | Saturday, June 4, 8:30am
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Stand Your Sand, Love Your Lakes, Love Your Parks!

STAND YOUR SAND! (Parks open at 8:00, walk starts at 8:15)
Won't you join together on June 4th for Stand Your Sand and have a walk on the beach? Join hands and walk 10 miles from the east and 10 miles from the west and enjoy South Walton's Beaches to establish our customary use for all. If you don't want to walk 10 miles you can join in at any point along the way. Suggested starting point at Topsail State Park from the west and Camp Helen State Park on the east at 8:15 a.m.. Let no barriers or signs impede us on our beaches on this day or ever. This, to claim the Beaches of South Walton from the dune line to the water line for the customary use for all to fairly and equitably use and enjoy for eternity. "This sand is your sand, this sand is our sand"

LOVE YOUR LAKES!
Celebrate and enjoy our fragile Coastal Dune Lakes along the way and join up from the east and the west at Grayton Beach for Coastal Dune Lakes Day! Walton County's Coastal Dune Lake Advisory Board (CDLAB) is hosting a celebration of South Walton area coastal dune lakes on Saturday, June 4, 2016. The event will be held at Grayton Beach State park from 10:00 a.m. til 3:00 p.m. Celebrate Coastal Dune Lake Day at Grayton Beach State Park Jun 4 | SoWal.com - Insider's Guide for South Walton Beaches & Scenic 30A.

LOVE YOUR PARKS!
Celebrate and support your State Parks for the treasures they are. We are so fortunate to have so many amazing State Parks along South Walton's beaches. Show your support for your beach Parks on June 4th and pay the entrance fees that keep them thriving. Start your walk at Topsail or Camp Helen State Parks and finish at Grayton Beach State Park

Join hands for our sand and walk the walk for OUR beaches.
Join hands to embrace and protect OUR fragile Dune Lakes.
Join hands to celebrate and support OUR State Parks.

On your walk in STAND YOUR SAND consider traversing and ignoring any and all barriers, signs, ropes and chains that are in violation to the Walton County Beach Activities ordinance "(Items left on the beach overnight will be discarded. (Ordinance 2013-04 Section 22-54) "Obstructions also include fences, ropes, chains, or signs unless properly permitted by county, state, and federal agencies as appropriate.".

Reserve the right to stop on any portion of the dry sand for a rest to stay properly hydrated to ensure good health and to enjoy the view. Please do not litter. Please behave responsably and leave only your footprints. Please be respectful of beachfront homeowners and avoid confrontations. Be respectful of the Walton County Beach Activities ordinance. Do use and enjoy the beaches as people have for centuries.

The walk on the beach is in no way an official event of any kind; It is only an idea. All people have the free will to choose to act on an idea or not. We all have the right to walk on the beach; no permit needed.

IMPORTANT: Please be aware and avoid any contact with post and roped off sea turtle nesting areas. Also near and within the State Park boundaries and inlet/outfalls avoid crossing or trampling posted and roped areas that provide barriers to protect nesting shorebirds and waterbirds.

Stay hydrated water stations will be placed at marked beach accesses along the way. Wear appropriate sunscreen, headwear and clothing for protection from the sun.

After the walk meet up at Grayton Beach State Park and celebrate our beaches, State Parks and coastal dune lakes for COASTAL DUNE LAKE DAY! Celebrate Coastal Dune Lake Day at Grayton Beach State Park Jun 4 | SoWal.com - Insider's Guide for South Walton Beaches & Scenic 30A

June 4 is also National Trails Day

FB event page | for updates on event, comments, etc

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Replies

81
John G avatar
Beach Fanatic
#52
I'm seeing few people who support private property signs and efforts. However, the number of private beach front homeowners jumping on the bandwagon with signs, ropes and fencing is growing fast. Just spoke to one such homeowner that wants to do the same because everyone else is doing it and they felt like they should too, to keep people from camping out near their home. I don't get it. But I do get that it's now the thing to do, just because. When I mentioned the local controversy she had no clue whatsoever. Just thought it was what they needed to do since others are doing it.

Also just heard about a fencing and ropes issue going on at Vizcaya where the FDEP was brought in. Not sure what happened. No details.

Hello! It's a requirement of the WCSO SOP!

What part of this is everyone missing?

If you owned beach front property and wanted to protect it from potential trespassers, wouldn't you follow the written instruction of your local Sheriff's Office ?

Does any other sheriff in the entire State of Florida require this (items in SOP)?
John G avatar
Beach Fanatic
#53
Wow - complaining about taking kids to the beach. New low.

I take kids to the beach quite a bit.

The difference here is I try to teach the respect for people and their property, not how entitled they are to seize it from them...

No one's complained about kids at the beach. It's the indoctrination of entitlement that this march represents.

Two very polar opposite opinions by two very different groups of people.
Beach Fanatic
#54
BlueMtnBeachVagrant avatar
Beach Fanatic
#55
...Seriously, do you know how freaking crazy & immature you sound?
Hey Misty, even though that comment was a direct personal attack on me I respect your right to call me or say anything to me you want. If you cross the line, I will personally let you know. I have a thick skin from years worth of posts from many "entitled individuals" who have called me worse. And I never asked or expected that their posts be deleted.

However, when I label a certain individual as a hypocrite backed by mounds of evidence, my posts gets banned citing personal attacks.

So from that standpoint, you are indeed winning the "personal attack" battle here on SoWal. Congrats!
BlueMtnBeachVagrant avatar
Beach Fanatic
#56
Hello! It's a requirement of the WCSO SOP!

What part of this is everyone missing?

It's called entitlement blinders.
Misty avatar
Banned
#57
Hey Misty, even though that comment was a direct personal attack on me I respect your right to call me or say anything to me you want. If you cross the line, I will personally let you know. I have a thick skin from years worth of posts from many "entitled individuals" who have called me worse. And I never asked or expected that their posts be deleted.

However, when I label a certain individual as a hypocrite backed by mounds of evidence, my posts gets banned citing personal attacks.

So from that standpoint, you are indeed winning the "personal attack" battle here on SoWal. Congrats!


There was nothing personal about it. I asked if you understood how crazy and ridiculous you sound accusing people of using children for human shields for a peaceful walk along the beach. Trust me, Kurt has removed enough of my posts but regardless, if he felt my post was a direct and personal attack he would not have hesitated to remove it and warn me personal attacks are not welcome here.
Jenksy avatar
Beach Fanatic
#58
Personal attacks are not allowed on SoWal.com.

Neither are whiny babies. :lol::banned: :lol:
Dawn avatar
Beach Fanatic
#59
Kurt doesn't see every post on this forum and even though there are other eyes besides his (like mine) - children will be children. Click report post if you have a problem otherwise don't act like children. And no personal attacks. Leave that for the beach!
Teresa avatar
SoWal GuideAuthor
#601
There are now many beach front owners who stand for their private property and keeping it free of people. I appreciate hearing from them. But we need to hear from someone who can express their intent in a coherent, reasonable way that we may understand their perspective, whether others may agree or not. Without being so offensive. Talk about entitlement.

Honestly, I don't want to sit down on their beachfront. But the beach signs, fences and ropes are hideous, dangerous and awful. Why any homeowner would do this to a beach they love is beyond me. They are protecting something that "belongs" to them but destroying it in the process. Next they'll be building walls. They'll be big and great!

These are good people who have decided to rope off their beach front. Blaming it on tourists who trash the beach and make too much noise. This is a tourist destination. Because of the beach. If you want privacy then the beach isn't that place except for very few isolated spots along our coast.

There has to be a solution to keeping our beaches free of ugliness. And free for people to enjoy.

Here is a recent photo of Seagrove Beach. How long will this gorgeous scene be here for us? Will it soon be covered in signs and fenced off beaches?

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Mike Jones avatar
Beach Fanatic
#61
It's called cutting off your nose to spite your face.
carson avatar
Beach Fanatic
#62
I will be selling "FREE SOWAL" T shirts at all of the main beach accesses. They are $29.99 (isn't everything on 30a?) and the proceeds go to my "Cuba Rum and Cigar Exploration Society" . I take everything but Discover.
Misty avatar
Banned
#63
Kurt has more than enough "eyes" on this board that if a post needs his attention the moderators will definitely make sure he sees it.

Like Teresa said...our beaches are a tourist destination and anyone who bought property here knew that going in when they signed on the dotted line. If you want so much privacy that people aren't even free to traverse the sand, you bought property in the wrong place! Find yourselves a deserted island somewhere....according to Google there are hundreds available for sale or rent worldwide.

BlueMtnBeachVagrant avatar
Beach Fanatic
#64
....There was nothing personal about it.

Really?

...Between you and John G its hard to determine who has the most growing up to do.
Misty avatar
Banned
#65
Really?

I didn't pick a winner! :)
BlueMtnBeachVagrant avatar
Beach Fanatic
#66
But the beach signs, fences and ropes are hideous, dangerous and awful.

It seems to me that you use a very large paint brush when portraying the current state of the beach. Sure there are a few areas where the owners have gotten carried away with ropes, chains and fences. I'm not necessarily agreeing with their actions but I can certainly understand why. BTW, the signs are necessary in some locations considering the current state of affairs.

On the other hand, you then post a beautiful aerial of the beach where I see no evidence of the above.

Is it really that bad out there or do customary use people just try to grab on to negative imagery which, in their minds, propel their cause?
Misty avatar
Banned
#67
I don't think the Turtle watch folks are trying to propel their cause with negative imagery, I think they are more interested in protecting sea life and marine habitat by posting images of idiot stuff people leave on the beach. They walk those beaches everyday....you can't make this stuff up!

Misty avatar
Banned
#68
There is only one way to put up sand fence, the rules are plain, it is never to be used out of the dune area, or parallel to the beach or closer to 10 feet apart at an angle in sections only 7 feet long. Please check with FWCC to get the rules and also you can't put it up in sea turtle nesting season.
Teresa avatar
SoWal GuideAuthor
#69
The disease of signs/fences/ropes is just starting to spread. We still have miles of beautiful stretches of beaches not yet infected. These are the cherished scenes of South Walton. I hope they can be preserved. If not then soon we'll have to look at vintage SoWal photos to remember what we had.

The beach chair setups are immensely preferable to unwelcome signs and fences up and down the beach. Though setups are out of control.
FactorFiction avatar
Beach Fanatic
#70
There is only one way to put up sand fence, the rules are plain, it is never to be used out of the dune area, or parallel to the beach or closer to 10 feet apart at an angle in sections only 7 feet long. Please check with FWCC to get the rules and also you can't put it up in sea turtle nesting season.
I believe it is 10 foot lengths no closer than 7 feet apart.
https://www.dep.state.fl.us/beaches/publications/pdf/sndfncgl04.pdf
John G avatar
Beach Fanatic
#72
So, how'd the protest go?

I bet about 8 or 9 people, including children actually showed up.

That accounts for about the same number of posters on SoWal that support the Trespass March.
Teresa avatar
SoWal GuideAuthor
#731
The Coastal Dune Lakes Day event was canceled due to weather today. Bummer! But the Stand Your Sand Walk happened! Several people walking from different spots reported in on Facebook. Dave's group stopped at Havana Beach for a rainy break and breakfast and continued for a 13 mile walk, meeting friends along the way including Surfrider members with their water stop. Dedicated people. Thank you.

The Walk has received a lot of attention, almost all positive, with much discussion about #customaryuse here and on community Facebook groups and the event page which tracked more than 450 interested in participating or supporting the idea with many thousands more views.. Elevating the issue. And that was the idea. Rain or no rain.

Gotta love this little beach town. Photo by S. Bell, fb post today.

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Edited

Lake View Too avatar
SoWal Insider
#74
A whole lot more of us were with them in spirit. Customary use will continue.
Teresa avatar
SoWal GuideAuthor
#752
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Lots of stand your sand walk photos posted today with beautiful scenes of the beach, storm clouds, nesting birds and people out and about... And this..

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Edited

MRBS avatar
Beach Lover
#76
no just no. advertising on beach. no no no. insult to injury. I'm so thankful for y'all who took a stand today. to see that on top of all the conundrum, wth? bud to nip, sharply.

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