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Mike Huckabee’s role in pushing controversial beach access law

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I think that politics and money have caused him to go down a self-centered path.

I hold out hope he will see how his actions have hurt all of us and have turned our community into a spotlight not to be emulated.
 
Teresa said:
I haven't heard that there were nearly that many beach front owners writing and pushing for HB631. Most of the BFOs I've heard from are on the customary use side or like the rest of are frustrated with beach vendors and enforcement.. So this is interesting. We could use some solid numbers.

Let me clarify. This is not my forum. I am a contributing member of the community and this forum like you or anyone else. My staff work has to do with website content, events, music, receiving updates and press releases from towns and businesses and passing on anything newsy to our readers, announcing new restaurants and other good news happening around town... and work with nonprofit groups and organizations, covering Florida State Parks events, South Walton Sea Turtles and many more outstanding local groups.

I do not moderate though I do answer any questions from posters when I get them via personal message, help people and businesses navigate the forum and learn their way around... and refer any concerns sent my way to the moderator. I also do social media and help run a photography gallery. Our tiny staff wear many hats. It's a privilege to be a part of the community both online and off.

Technically this forum belongs to the community. Users decide how they want to use it. It's taken many directions over the course of nearly 15 years. The SoWal.com publisher/editor oversees it, maintains it and moderates as needed.

Thank you for taking the time to post from your experience and perspective. We need every voice. This community is worth it.
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Amazing. So, just who is the moderator, or is there one at all?

As to the BPO's my husband and I personally talk with several hundred, and those who represent entire blocks of neighborhoods, HOA's, condos. Almost to a person they will not express their opinion for the concern will make them a target of harassment. Many see no purpose in the court of public opinion. They follow along silently but express views privately. A reasonable percentage are not on Facebook. I will agree that 90% have no issue with locals on their beach, but object in varying degrees to flipping it public. Another BPO you will never hear from came up with the term "customary density."

Shannon
 
After a handful of years with a few homes placing private property signs on the beaches It really got going when a handful of Beachfront owners in 2015 banded together to stop beach nourishment. There is a NY Times article on this thread about Mike Huckabee's involvement in influencing that outcome. No conspiracy, truth. I was also against beach nourishment for very different reasons; hard to acquire sand, expensive and I frankly did not think it really has that much of effect saving the beaches. Now, I really think it could work just fine; couldn't hurt. A very small number of beachfront owners started this nonsense egged on by a powerful law firm. That coalition was born from the beach nourishment issue. In time our beaches will be restored to customary use because the alternative is unthinkable. In time.
 
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Dave Rauschkolb said:
I was also against beach nourishment for very different reasons; hard to acquire sand, expensive and I frankly did not think it really has that much of effect saving the beaches. Now, I really think it could work just fine; couldn't hurt.
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As a non-property owner but frequent visitor to SoWal and occasional visitor to other beaches from Cape San Blas, FL to Orange Beach, FL, I’m against beach renourishment based on what I’ve seen at Orange Beach, Alabama, the (Orange Beach) Alabama and Florida portions of Perdido Key (including Perdido Key State Park), and Pensacola Beach proper. The native sand that naturally makes up the “dry sand” portions of Walton County Beaches is almost pure white, but the main difference I notice is in the texture; when you step on it, it packs and squeaks like a humid southern snow. The renourished beach sand in Orange Beach, Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach is yellow/tan, but notably a “looser” sand that burns up in the sun and doesn’t have the texture of the unique sand we are used to in Walton County; it’s more like playground sand in some mid-American suburb; I can’t even get an umbrella to stick up in it!

The renouroshed sand in the Sunnyside area on the west end of Bay County is whiter but still has more shell fragments in it and is again not like the native sand in SoWal. Cape San Blas sand appears to be native to that area, but tends to be darker towards Apalachicola and SGI and whiter on the NW end of the cape in the state park.

As you stated, you didn’t think it had much effect of saving the beaches - that is the big geological issue there: the beaches should be allowed natural accretion and renouroshment without artificial interference, just as the coastal dune lakes should be allowed to flow and open/close on their own.
 
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And our sand here in SOWAL doesnt get hot. I just dont think they could ever get it to match.
 
miznotebook said:
I think most people would say quite good.
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Where is beach renourishment needed in 30A? The beaches I’ve used seem to recover from tropical storms and hurricanes pretty well on their own. The coastal dune lakes and “bluff” dunes probably help with that. Miramar Beach, however, has no lakes and fewer, smaller dunes, but the “real” problem there is that many of the structures were built MUCH too close to the waterline!

What effect will artificially renourishibg the natural beaches have on the coastal dune lakes? This obviously wasn’t an issue in Miramar.
 
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