We invite you to join us in our quest to save our beautiful PUBLIC BOCA RATON BEACHES that are under assault by Private Corporate Development. Please join us in protecting our public beaches, our endangered wildlife, and our lovely unique seaside. Let your voice be heard. Email your representatives!
Nothing defines Florida more than its coast. People come from around the world to swim, boat, scuba dive, surf, fish, kayak, enjoy our beaches, and see our unique coastal wildlife. The coast is Florida’s economic engine. But alarming changes are taking place, from plummeting fish catches to outbreaks of harmful algae, dying marine life, and beach closures due to development plans.
Hemmed in by development, our beaches are eroding and our reefs and fisheries continue to decline. Boca Raton City leaders can — and must — boldly act to stop this alarming decline and to reform coastal management policies before we lose the natural resources that fuel our economy and our identity as Floridians.
“Our oceans and coasts are among the chief pillars of our nation’s wealth and economic well-being. Yet our lack of full understanding of the complexity of marine ecosystems, and our failure to properly manage the human activities that affect them, are compromising the health of these systems and diminishing our ability to fully realize their potential.” — U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, “An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century”
“The crisis in our oceans is such that many marine populations and ecosystems may be reaching the point where even a small disturbance can cause big change. We must therefore initiate large changes ourselves, not in the oceans, but in our governance of them and our attitude toward them.” —Pew Oceans Commission Report, “America’s Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change”
The major threats to the health and productivity of Florida’s ocean and coast are: unwise coastal development, pollution, offshore oil drilling, overfishing and destructive fishing practices, and lack of a comprehensive management system. Fortunately, each of these threats can be minimized with targeted and immediate action. You can help us let City policy makers understand how keeping our beaches public will help protect our oceans.
Rampant development threatens our environment and our quality of life. Florida is losing many coastal habitats as a result of weak and poorly enforced coastal and growth management laws. Although the state has passed many laws, coastal areas are still being overdeveloped and valuable natural habitats are disappearing. The consequences echo not only on coasts and in nearshore waters, but also across the submerged shelf to offshore reefs. Losing beaches,...
It has been 20 years since the Florida Legislature adopted the current coastal-protection policies, and many of the policies are outdated. The state needs to change how it subsidizes coastal development, including on barrier islands, to prevent environmentally damaging development. The first priority must be to protect key features, including dunes, mangroves, estuaries, and coral reefs. These natural habitats buffer storm surge and provide key habitat...
Of Florida’s 825 miles of sandy beaches, 38 percent are in a state of “critical erosion” and, as noted above, more than half are eroding due to factors such as beachfront building, navigational inlets, and natural causes. If development isn’t better controlled, Florida could lose revenue from three top recreational and tourism industries—fishing, diving, and surfing. It also faces increasing threats to public health and safety from storms.
“Our memories of the beach will linger on…
…long after our footprints in the sand are gone.” - anonymousOur very existence as citizens is being threatened by forces which need to be addressed before they succeed in denying us access to our own environment.
Fellow residents and taxpayers of Boca we are facing a challenge of great urgency!
Learn MoreBecause we realize many concerned residents will actively participate by downloading the attached petition for circulation and signature, we are also aware that others may will find it convenient to show their support with an online petition signature. Therefore, we have tried to provide all available options to gain support for this serious issue, and have taken steps to verify the validity of each participant.
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