COASTAL ZONE SUMMARY SHEETS

FLORIDA COASTAL COORDINATING COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT

ACTIVITIES IN FLORIDA'S COASTAL ZONE

(Recommendations Subject to Change)

INTRODUCTION

The coastal zone of Florida is the state's most important and valuable asset. It contains the richest and most diverse combination of plants and animals, is the focus of our industrial and economic activity, and attracts the vast majority of our visitors and new residents. In fact, over 70 per cent of our population is concentrated in orly 16 of our 38 coastal counties and this, for the most part, is clustered along the narrow coastal fringe of the counties. If present trends continue, the coastal zone will contain over ten million residents by the year 2000 and will serve a yearly influx of several times that many visitors.

The requirements of this concentration of people have had a serious impact on the natural values of the coastal zone and have become a threat to the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of this state. It is now widely recognized that a coordinated effort of interested federal, state and local agencies of government is imperative to plan for and effect a solution to this threat.

In pursuit of such a solution, the 1970 Legislature created the Florida Coastal Coordinating Council (Ch. 370.0211, F.S.), consisting of the executive directors of the three state agencies primarily responsible for management of our coastal resources: the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Pollution Control and the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. The council was recently enlarged by administrative action to include the Secretary of the Department of Administration. The council was given charges to develop a comprehensive plan for the development, protection and zoning of the coastal zone and to provide coordination of planning and management activities involved in the coastal zone.

In response to these charges, the council is striving to develop a plan that would:

1. Be formulated in an objective and impartial manner, utilizing well-defined techniques and criteria.

2. Attempt to strike a balance between development and preservation interests. 3. Be as compatible with local and regional planning efforts as possible.

4. Provide maximum retention of land and water use options for the future.

5. Make maximum use of existing governmental research and management capabilities.

6. Allow for wisest possible use of the coastal zone.

7. Protect the long-term interests of the state by maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in the coastal zone.

In order for such a plan to be meaningful, the council recognizes that there must be a mechanism for promoting its implementation by those governmental bodies having ultimate decision-making responsibility concerning development. In large part, this responsibility has been delegated by the state to city and county governments, many of which have adopted subdivision regulations, building codes, and other such regulations designed to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

It is a lamentable truism, however, that in areas of rapid development and population growth, where effective controls are most urgently needed, pressing day-to-day problems tend to be solved in a manner which often does not adequately consider the regional or long-term consequences of the actions taken. This has in numerous cases forced upon us increasing unplanned social and environmental problems which were not anticipated and were not wanted. The eed for greater direction and purpose in decision-making is obvious. The state is now in the initial stages of fulfilling this need through several interrelated programs.

This set of recommendations was developed in recognition of both the local responsibility for promoting community desires and the state's responsibility for protecting the interests of the public at large. The purpose of this publication is threefold:

1. To encourage the wisest use of coastal resources.