U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, left, joins Beverly Beach Mayor Stephen Emmett during a press conference announcing $13.5 million in federal funding for Flagler County beach restoration. Photo by Rich Carroll.
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine speaks during an Aug. 8 press conference in Beverly Beach announcing $13.5 million in federal funding for Flagler County beach restoration. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance, left, and U.S. Rep. Randy Fine attend an Aug. 8 press conference announcing $13.5 million in federal funding for Flagler County beach restoration. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Beverly Beach Mayor Stephen Emmett hugs U.S. Rep. Randy Fine to welcome and thank him for helping secure federal funding for Flagler County beach restoration. Photo by Rich Carroll.
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine speaks during an Aug. 8 press conference in Beverly Beach announcing $13.5 million in federal funding for Flagler County beach restoration. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance arrives at the Aug. 8 press conference on federal funding for beach restoration. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Beverly Beach Mayor Stephen Emmett waits for the Aug. 8 press conference on federal funding for Flagler County beach restoration to begin. Photo by Rich Carroll.
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine visited Flagler County on Saturday, Aug. 8, to announce $13.5 million in additional federal funding for beach restoration, dune repairs, erosion control and storm-surge protection projects.
Fine made the announcement during a press conference at Beverly Beach Town Hall, where Beverly Beach Mayor Stephen Emmett and other local officials joined him.
The new funding is separate from $8.8 million announced last August, Fine said.
“I want to be clear,” Fine said. “We did have a press conference about 11 months ago when we announced $8.8 million last August in funding to the county for beach renourishment. That is not $8.8 million of that $13.5 million. That was last year. This year we're announcing $13.5 million.”
Fine said the latest funding is part of approximately $50 million in federal funding secured for Flagler County during his first 15 months in Congress. In addition to the beach funding, Fine pointed to money for the Flagler Executive Airport, Flagler Beach Fishing Pier, emergency protective measures in Flagler Beach, Bunnell's wastewater treatment facility and environmental infrastructure.
“You add that together, and that is secured in the 15 months I have been in Congress — $50 million just for Flagler County,” Fine said.
Fine represents Florida's 6th Congressional District, which includes six counties. He said coastal issues have been a priority for him since he was first elected to the Florida Legislature in 2016.
“Beach issues are important to me,” Fine said. “I've always represented beachside communities, and the issues relating to beach renourishment and beach erosion plague all parts of the state.”
Emmett welcomed Fine to Beverly Beach by hugging the congressman, thanking him for helping secure federal funding for Flagler County.
“When I look at that board with that money that he's gotten this county, which we're all going to be sharing in for that beach restoration, which is an ever-ending type of deal,” Emmett said.
The mayor then spoke about the erosion the small coastal community has witnessed over the years.
“I've watched this beach go, go in stages,” Emmett said. “The campground next door to us has 1,500 feet of seawall that is totally trashed. It was there for 40 years.”
Emmett said the damage illustrates the difficulty coastal communities face in trying to protect themselves from erosion and storms.
“You can't mess with Mother Nature,” Emmett said. “It's going to do what Mother Nature does.”
Fine said protecting Florida's water and coastline is critical to maintaining what attracts people to the state in the first place.
“What makes Florida different is our water,” Fine said. “Whether it's the beach, whether it's the Intracoastal, whether it's our springs, the St. Johns — that's what makes Florida different from many of these other places.”
But Fine acknowledged that federal funding alone will not provide a permanent solution to Flagler County's erosion problems. He said communities will ultimately have to confront larger questions about how to protect their coastlines sustainably.
“You can never fully restore the beaches when you rely on seawalls,” Fine said. “Everything that we're doing, to some degree, is putting Band-Aids on a problem. The solution to the problem is a much bigger one that allows people to live and enjoy our beaches, but in a long-term sustainable way.”
