Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed an updated agreement to bring new renourishment efforts ahead of hurricane season.<\/p>\n
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 Pinellas County and national leaders have come together and agreed to restore federal funding for beach nourishment projects.<\/p>\n
Representative Anna Paulina Luna and members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) joined each other to sign an updated Project Cooperation Agreement to bring new renourishment efforts to local beaches ahead of hurricane season<\/a>.<\/p>\n The updated agreement revises the project timeline, total project costs and county cost-share obligations while allowing it to proceed under conditions that better reflect the realities facing local property owners and coastal communities.<\/p>\n The new terms come after the USACE previously required beachfront property owners to permanently sign away public access rights to their land, which caused the project to stall after many homeowners refused.<\/p>\n The new agreement drops that demand, ensuring property owners will only need to grant temporary access while the work is underway. It also clarifies that the public’s right to use the beach can be upheld under Florida’s existing customary-use ordinance.<\/p>\n “This signing is a major win for Pinellas County and reflects the collaboration that helped resolve long-standing barriers to critical beach renourishment along our coast,” Rep. Luna said in a statement. “Local leaders have worked for years to get this project back on track, and I am grateful to Assistant Secretary Telle, the Army Corps, and our county partners for working together to deliver progress on the shoreline protection our coastal communities have needed for years.”<\/p>\n