Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Save our Siesta Sand is readying our case.


We now have the final Atkins Peer Review which has been reformatted but contains basically the same message as in the draft report; namely that there are major concerns about the level of science and modeling that the Army Corps has used in reaching their conclusions. Stating that there will be no negative impacts on Siesta Key based on the Army Corps modeling flies in the face of both actual experience in other inlets and previous studies. 

The Atkins report cites concerns about the Army Corps modeling technology, the lack of specifics to back up the conclusions reached and the relevancy of much of the data used due to its age. This came as no surprise to us as our expert Dr. Robert Young had already pointed out many issues with the Army Corps models.  Earlier reviews of proposals to dredge Big Pass also expressed concerns on the potential impacts to Siesta Key as well as on navigation. Examples are Peer reviews of the Inlet Management Plan (read bottom of pg. 8 & pg.9) and the Peer review by Aubrey and Dolan .

An additional issue with the Army Corps approach is that it provides a false alternative; it is an all or nothing approach. Why is it that Lido Key cannot be renourished the same way it has been in the past with smaller quantities of sand without mining the Siesta Key shoal and endangering Siesta Key?  If sand is brought from offshore it is added to the system. However, if sand is moved north against the normal flow, some will be lost offshore.

One thing is clear; removal of even a small section of Big Pass shoal without a comprehensive look at all of the factors that impact navigation and Siesta Key makes no sense. The risks of proceeding without this information are simply too great as once any dredging has occurred the damage cannot be undone and the financial stakes are too high.

What is next? The DEP has accepted many of the Army Corps answers to their first request for additional information. DEP has issued a second request for the information that they determined was still missing according to their arcane rules. It appears that they are on a path to grant the permits as their rules constrain what they can ask.

We hope that the County will utilize the information in the Atkins report to influence the City to rethink their plans. As the City is the sponsor for the dredge, they will be liable for any damage that occurs if they proceed but that is small consolation indeed.

Save our Siesta Sand is readying our case. We need your help by spreading the word, signing our petition and donating. And if you have done these three things, we thank you and ask you to do them again as we are just halfway to our goal!

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Siesta Key Chamber Announces New Executive Director

On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is with great pleasure that I announce that after an extensive search we have a new Executive Director!  Her name is Ann Frescura and her employment will begin the first week of January. 

Ann is coming to us from Springfield, Illinois and has extensive experience in non-profit and event management.  We are very excited that she will be joining us and we look forward to introducing her to all of you.  Thank you for your continued support...we are really excited about starting a new chapter for the Chamber!

http://www.siestakeychamber.com/

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

What to do and find at the 2015 Crystal Classic

Tips to follow if you are planning on attending this year's festival

  • Check out our map layout of all the teams and sculptors competing for this year's $15,000 in prize money
  • Get your QR code scanner on your phone ready to obtain updates on the festival schedule and more information on all sculptor teams while on site
  • Get your reserved parking pass and avoid the hassle of parking at Siesta Beach any day during the event.  Shuttle service operating on Saturday and Sunday from 10 - 2 PM to get you from reserved parking to the south side of the entrance.
  • Come hungry and bring money!  With plenty of food, beer and drink to enjoy, why eat before you come out to the beach?  Check out the festival site map to find food, beer, tickets, gates and party tent depending upon where you park.
  • Shop til you drop at the Vendor Village featuring over 60 booths, open Friday through Monday from 10 AM til close.
  • If you come out to the beach after 12 PM, you may want to consider taking SCAT from the Pavilion or Southgate Malls.
  • Follow us on Facebook for the most up to date information during the competition.  See below to connect with us.
  • Come on out on Saturday and enjoy the festival followed by a showing of Surf's Up on the beach sponsored by the Sarasota Film Festival at night
  • Get your pails and shovels and carving tools ready and enter the amateur contest on Saturday.  Click here to register.  It's free!
  • Party Hardy at the Kona Brewing Party Tent followed by some moving and grooving to the variety of great music inside the festival perimeter
Sponsors tent open Friday through Sunday, 10 AM til close in front of the event stage

Friday, August 28, 2015

Position Available - Executive Director of Non-Profit Chamber of Commerce

Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce - Sarasota FL 

The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based, business-focused organization which offers a wide variety of benefits and services geared toward promoting local businesses and strengthening the economic climate of the local community.  The Chamber is a 450+ member organization with a staff of three full-time employees, one part-time employee and  20+ volunteers and hosts many events designed to promote business interaction and growth.

The Executive Director will have overall responsibility for ensuring that the organization is successful in achieving its mission through strategic planning, fundraising, managing staff and volunteers, outreach to the public, coordinating programs, meeting financial goals and guiding the organization through stages of growth and innovation. He/she will be responsible to the Board of Directors for a range of activities in accordance with the policies, procedures and By-laws of the Chamber.  Additionally, he/she must be professional and personable while providing the “face and voice” of the Chamber.

Strategic Planning & Decision Making

Provide leadership in developing and implementing strategic initiatives in conjunction with the Board of Directors.
Oversee the allocation of resources such as funding, staff, and volunteers.
Identify process improvements to maximize organizational efficiencies.

Management

Manage daily operations and ensure programs are successful, by maintaining high standards of quality for client intake, volunteer recruitment, and responding to staff needs.
Maintain the positive and mission-driven culture that exists within the organization’s community by strengthening relationships with volunteers, staff, members and sponsors.
Recruit, train, motivate, and evaluate all paid staff and volunteers.
Maintain official records and documents.
Ensure compliance with government regulations.

Fundraising

Develop fundraising plan in conjunction with the board.
Expand, coordinate, and promote our fundraising events.
Cultivate donors by strengthening existing partnerships and developing new donor relationships.

Outreach/Community Involvement

Promote our mission, vision and values in our service area.
Create new opportunities to expand organizational awareness by participating in community events and networking organizations
Publicize the activities of the organization via email, mailings, public ad campaigns, social media, internal newsletters and our website.

Financial Management

Work with the Board of Directors to prepare an annual budget.
Maintain sound financial practices and manage the expenditure of funding according to the budget.

Qualifications

Minimum of 3 years management experience
Knowledge of tourism and visitor Marketing
Chamber of Commerce awareness
Passion for our mission and ability to communicate it in a compelling manner.
Past success working at a nonprofit with a board of directors.
Ability to prioritize a variety of ongoing activities.
Experience managing program budgets and monitoring expenditures.
Comfortable with public speaking to a wide range of stakeholders.
Prior fundraising experience
Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people.
Possess working knowledge of database technology, Microsoft Office Suite, and Quickbooks.

Hours: Full time (will include some evenings and weekends)

Salary: Salary based on experience plus bonuses and benefits.

Application Deadline: September 30, 2015

If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to: Employment@SKCCinfo.com

No phone inquiries.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Big Pass dredging peer review update

The county has moved ahead and contracted with Atkins North America Inc. for $49,000 to review the Army Corps of Engineers’ (ACOE) plans to harvest sand from the Big Pass Shoal for the Lido Beach renourishment project.
In an email to County Administrator Tom Harmer from Manager of Development Services and Environmental Protection Matt Osterhoudt in early June, “We expect the consulting firm Atkins North America, Inc., to complete the peer review by the end of September 2015.”
The county is spending the money for the review at the urging of the Siesta Key Association.
The ACOE has stated in permitting documents that the renourishment would have no significant effect on Siesta Key beaches. The Big Pass Shoal renourishes Siesta Key beach naturally.

Siesta Key - Siesta Fiesta 2016

Siesta Fiesta will continue for 2016, with a small modification to address the problem the village businesses encountered in the past during this event. Businesses complained that signs announcing Ocean Blvd. was closed were posted before entering the Village deterring customers from patronizing their establishments.

Ocean Blvd. will not be closed for the 2016 events was the case in previous years. Instead, booths will be set up on the sidewalks similar to the February Craft Fair to allow traffic to pass through. The dates set for next year are April 9 and 10. Howard Allen will also continue to host the event.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Big Pass dredging peer review update

The county has moved ahead and contracted with Atkins North America Inc. for $49,000 to review the Army Corps of Engineers’ (ACOE) plans to harvest sand from the Big Pass Shoal for the Lido Beach renourishment project.
In an email to County Administrator Tom Harmer from Manager of Development Services and Environmental Protection Matt Osterhoudt in early June, “We expect the consulting firm Atkins North America, Inc., to complete the peer review by the end of September 2015.”
The county is spending the money for the review at the urging of the Siesta Key Association.

The ACOE has stated in permitting documents that the renourishment would have no significant effect on Siesta Key beaches. The Big Pass Shoal renourishes Siesta Key beach naturally.

2015 Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition


This November 13-17, twenty-four of the premier master sand sculptors from all over the world will once again be competing for 1st place on the #1 beach. The Siesta Key Crystal Classic has become a favorite of many of the professional sand sculptors who have competed here. Citing the beauty and cleanliness of the pristine white sand, sculptors have remarked that their sculptures look almost as if they are “carved in marble.”
Information regarding sponsorship is now available on the website as well applications for our popular Vendor Village: www.siestakeycrystalclassic.com.

For more information about Siesta Key Crystal Classic contact the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Expert says modeling behind pass dredging is flawed

By Roger Drouin

Panelists spoke to a full audience at St. Boniface Episcopal Church. Photo by Roger Drouin.

When a coastal geology expert hired by critics of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to buffer Lido Key’s beaches with sand dredged from Big Pass spoke at a meeting last month, he spent several minutes talking about the modeling used by the Army Corps.

The modeling used is essentially flawed, explained Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University.

According to Young, the same exact method of modeling cited as support for the Army Corps conclusion that dredging Big Pass will have no negative, unintended consequences had been described as flawed by the very federal agency that used the model to prove it’s point, Robert Young told a full audience at St. Boniface Episcopal Church May 11.

The method of modeling is called GENESIS, and it is commonly used by coastal engineers to check to see what the potential impacts of a beach project could be on nearby coastal areas.

The problem is that GENESIS is not “well-suited” to determine the impacts of coastal projects on inlets (such as Big Pass) or environments close to inlets, Young said. The Army Corps has even stated in permit applications this shortcoming of the modeling. But nonetheless the agency still uses the modeling to “add confidence to its revised plans,” Young said.

Young was one of the panelists to speak at the meeting hosted by the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, Siesta Key Association, Siesta Key Village Association and the Siesta Key Cond Council. The other models used by the Army Corps are also flawed, Young told the packed community room at St. Boniface, because data entered into the models does not replicate coastal weather such as storms, which happen over time.
“The project engineers cannot predict with any degree of certainty at all the impact of the proposed dredging,” Young said.

Some of the models are interesting but “in my opinion,” Young said, “they cannot be used for project design.”

Young’s presentation was the focal point of the meetings, which included criticism of the project from other speakers, including: Save Our Siesta Sand 2 (SOSS2) Chairman Peter van Roekens; former Sarasota County Environmental Services Director Rob Patten; and environmental advocate and former director of the Environmental Studies department at New College Jono Miller.  Laird Wreford, Coastal Resosurces Manager of Sarasota County presented a neutral stance.

Young also referenced a 1994 study by David Aubrey, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and Robert Dolan, a professor at the University of Virginia.

“Siesta Key’s stability and low erosion is linked to Big Pass shoals,” Young said. “The study showed the shoals play an important role in sheltering Siesta Key.”

Phil Gilbert, an Illinois judge and seasonal resident on Siesta Key, spoke during the question and answer session at the May 11 meeting.

Gilbert said as a judge who has worked on cases involved federal environmental agencies, he believes the best route for advocates is to continue to push for the Army Corps to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is more comprehensive than the Environmental Analysis (EA) that the agency has been willing to undertake.

“There are only two reasons why the Army Corps would not want to do an EIS: the time it would take; and they might not like the results of it,” Gilbert said.

If advocates do take legal action, Gilbert suggested, one option is to ask a judge to order the Army Corps to conduct an EIS before any aspect of the project continues. “A federal judge cannot just tell the Corps its idea is flawed,” Gilbert said. But it is plausible that a judge would require the agency to conduct and submit an EIS to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA’s descriptions of the two types of environmental studies illuminates just how different the analyses are.

An Environmental Analysis is shorter: “Since the EA is a concise document, it should not contain long descriptions or detailed data which the agency may have gathered.”

The Environmental Impact Statement is more involved. It “is a detailed analysis that serves to insure that the policies and goals defined in NEPA are infused into the ongoing programs and actions of the federal agency,” according to the EPA.

Convergence of events halted plans to dredge Big Pass in the early 90s.

By Roger Drouin 

Twenty one years ago—long enough for many to forget—three events converged to kill plans that would have scraped sand from Big Pass to stabilize two local beaches.

A pivotal lawsuit filed and won by the Siesta Key Association (SKA), a key decision by state environmental officials, and a City Commission 4-1 vote stopped two separate proposals to use sand from several locales in Big Pass and a shoal off Siesta to shore up beaches on Venice and Lido Key.

In the first and larger proposal, Venice and the Army Corps of Engineers wanted to dredge sand from the pass and transport that sand down to Venice to be used during a renourishment. In the other project, a smaller amount of sand from the pass would be used to stabilize Lido’s shoreline.

Advocates involved in the battle to stop the dredging and elected officials at the time recall just how close these projects came to fruition. In fact, the effort to mine Big Pass for sand for Venice—initiated before the city’s plan to dredge—had already secured a permit from the state.

“We were worried about how this would compromise the shoal off Siesta that protects Siesta,” said Cheryl Duley, who was a member of the original Save Our Sand Committee, an ad hoc committee of the Siesta Key Association. The Save our Sand group was formed in response to the threat of a dredged Big Pass.
“It was a joint effort with all the associations on the Key,” Duley said about the Save our Sand Committee.
“If we had done nothing, if the committee had not been formed, they would have dredged,” Duley told Siesta Sand. “I have no doubts in my mind that would have happened.”

The battle over the Venice project was so contentious it resulted in one county commissioner losing their seat. “I would say one lesson is that people become really passionate about their beaches,” said Nora Patterson, former county commissioner and a city commissioner in the early 1990s. “Watch out!”

Fast forward ahead

Now—two decades later—the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is plowing ahead with its permit application for an ambitious Lido Beach Renourishment project, which includes plans to dredge more than 6 million cubic yards of sand from the pass over 50 years.

Patterson expects discussions to get more heated as the current Army Corps proposal moves ahead. Patterson would like to see the Corps’ pull back on its 50-year plan and try for a smaller, one-time project on Lido that would be closely monitored before subsequent renourishments, and more dredging of Big Pass, was pursued. “I have enormous respect for the Army Corps, but they have made mistakes in the past. And it seems like we are part of a pretty large experiment,” said Patterson, who believes a smaller, trial project to stabilize Lido’s shoreline, similar to previous renourishments might alleviate some concerns about the Army Corps’ plans.

A procedural point

In the early 1990s, the threat of a lawsuit, and then the successful execution of legal action, was the most instrumental in stopping plans to dredge the Big Pass for sand to be used in Venice.
The SKA and its ad hoc committee raised about $250,000. “It all went to legal fees,” Duley said.
The SKA hired the renowned Tallahassee firm of Holland & Knight, which in turn hired a team of coastal experts who unearthed several faults with the plan to dredge Big Pass. David Aubrey, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Robert Dolan, a professor at the University of Virginia found that the impact of dredging the shoal of Big Pass would pose an unacceptable risk to Siesta Key and the downdrift beaches. That study, conducted in 1994, showed that the ebb shoal in Big Pass was the foundation for the stability of sand formation to the south, including Siesta Key. In part, the plan by the Army Corps of Engineers to mine Big Pass for Venice lost momentum because of the researchers’ findings.
The study by the scientists from Woods Hole and the University of Virginia also pointed out that the granularity of the sand on Venice did not match the sand in Big Pass. “The issue of the granular sand came about during the lawsuit because the study brought that to light,” Duley recalled.

Ultimately, the FDEP reversed course on its permit for dredging because the sand source didn’t match the beach sand on Venice.

But it wasn’t an environmental or sand-compatibility issue that swayed a judge. Before FDEP rescinded its permit, a procedural point convinced a judge to rule in favor of SKA in the legal petition it filed, recalled Catherine Luckner, vice president of the SKA and a member of the effort to stop the dredging in the 1990s.
The case came down to “procedural” issues, Luckner said—specifically the lack of public notices sent out to those who could be impacted by the dredging. The judge ruled the project could not continue.

The judge’s ruling combined with the FDEP decision halted any possibility of dredging Big Pass. “DEP came out and said they [Army Corps] had to go back on it anyway because the sand source didn’t match,” Luckner said.

The ruling in 1994 could also become a reflection of forthcoming trouble for the Army Corps as it pushes ahead its current Lido beach project.

Recently, Luckner has drawn attention to missteps by the Army Corps when it comes to communication with the public. The Army Corps did not advertise its April 15 public workshop in time, and when it finally did an online link to information, the link did not work. “It is kind of hard to have a public meeting when people are not educated on what you are talking about,” Luckner said.

Although Luckner is not personally advocating for legal action at this time (other Siesta advocates are, however), she believes these kind of missteps could once be used once again in a legal arena or the FDEP approval process to halt the current Lido Renourishment project.

Luckner also said the Army Corps should have extended the public comment period because of the improper notification, but thus far it has not done so. “These are the little things. They sound small,” Luckner said. “But because they have to do with due process, they are built into the process. It is an important part of the process.”

FDEP officials noted the insufficient public notice too, telling the Army Corps in an April 15 official Request for Additional Information that the federal agency had had to advertise public notices for the public.

The sand fight in the city

While Siesta advocates were fighting the Venice project, in the city of Sarasota, commissioners debated whether to take sand from Big Pass for the renourishment of Lido. At the time, Patterson voted against taking sand from Big Pass.

The then-city-commissioner felt that state funding would be at risk if the city pursued the politically contentious issue of taking sand from Big Pass. “Both Venice and the city of Sarasota planned to use Big Pass shoal,” Patterson told Siesta Sand. The county had voted to do it. And up to that time, the city had backed it as well.”

In light of the SKA lawsuit and strong opposition on Siesta to the Venice project, Patterson determined that if the city went for Big Pass sand, too, there would be no way it would get the funding from the state. The entire project would be politically unfeasible.

To illustrate the opposition at the time, Patterson described a “rather long and contentious” meeting when the Save our Sand group along with Jack O’Neil—who was instrumental in the movement to protect Big Pass sand—argued for the city to pull back on its plans to dredge sand from the pass.

The City Commission (with Patterson) voted 4-1 against dredging Big Pass.

“Ultimately we did get the [state] money later for our renourishment, and we used offshore sand, and it went fine,” Patterson told Siesta Sand. “The state funding picked up half the tab.”

“At the time, the state did not have a real fund for beach renourishment, but they had some money they were willing to allocate,” Patterson added.

At the county level, the “sand issue” was strong enough to propel Jack O’Neil to beat an incumbent and take a seat on the county commission. As a former chair of the Siesta Key Association, he was instrumental in the “Save our Sand” movement. But concerns about cost of incorporation killed the idea before it got to the referendum stage.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Save Our Siesta Key Sand


Over 150 people attended the meeting on May 11th sponsored by the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, the Siesta Key Village Association, the Siesta Key Association and the Siesta Key Condominium Council.  Five speakers discussed various aspects of the project. The main speaker was Dr. Robert Young who was retained by SOSS2 to examine the risks of relying on the Army Corps models. This is critical because the entire basis of the Army Corps claim that there will be no harm to navigation or Siesta Key is based on their modelling results.  Dr. Young reported that the models generate unpredictable results and impacts to Siesta Key have not been adequately considered. The empirical data provided by the negative results that we have seen elsewhere in Florida and in Louisiana support that conclusion.

There was a discussion about whether FDEP will save the day. It is possible but in our opinion it is a long shot. Once FDEP has approved a plan such as in Longboat Pass they have made it clear that their primary aim is to support the Army Corps plan.  Navigational impacts or damages to other beaches are secondary concerns.  It is clear that an area wide Environmental Impact Statement is needed rather than the limited Assessment done in 2002/2004. So the best option is for you to state your objections to the current plan by submitting a petition on our website stating your concerns in the comments box. While is past the stated Army Corps date, this petition goes to the FDEP, the Army Corps, our Congressman and all of the County and City Commissioners.

Questions were raised about the objectivity of the County sponsored peer review with Atkins. Several people questioned their independence given the business they do with the Army Corps in Florida which totals multiple millions of dollars per year and over 10 billion in the next 30 years. SOSS2 has questioned the County Library List process but has been told that it is a given that the next firm on the list must be selected. Therefore SOSS2 has submitted three questions which we believe the peer review must answer and the County is considering having Atkins address them.

Finally, there was a discussion about a lawsuit being the last resort with documentation of concerns and letters to the newspapers and public officials being the first approach to take. SOSS2 agrees with this but judging from other Army Corps projects that have proceeded down the path to implementation with little regard for public input, it is obvious we need to be ready take legal action. I.e. speak softly but carry a big stick.

We are slightly more than halfway to our funding goal of $100,000 but halfway won’t do it. We need to be able to mount and sustain the appropriate legal action. So if you have not written or submitted a petition, please do so as we assume you care as much as we do. If you have not donated to our legal fund and are counting on others to do it, please contribute your share or whatever you can. Whenever the permits are granted, we need to be able to move quickly.

Thanks to all that have brought us this far.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Morton’s Gourmet Market

Fans of Morton’s Gourmet Market in Sarasota’s Southside Village won’t have to leave Siesta Key to get their locally grown produce and specialty foods for much longer.

Morton’s will officially move into the space currently occupied by Siesta Market on June 1st, but they will not be open to the public until the fall, after the store-wide renovation of the building, which is expected to take 4 or 5 months, is complete.

Siesta Market will be closing its doors at the end of May when current the owners of the only grocery store in Siesta Village, brothers Peter and Vincent Messina, retire. The Messina family has owned and operated the business for 44 years current and they will be missed, but the news of a new Morton’s Gourmet Market will soften the blow for many.

Morton's owner, Eddie Morton, told ABC7 reporters "My son and I said we would never ever expand; we would make it (the over 40-year-old family business) the best market there is, unless the opportunity ever came up on Siesta Key. That would be the only place we'd want to expand to."

The Siesta Key location will offer groceries and specialty items, like their other location, but it will have more of a focus on prepared foods.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Sea Turtle Nesting Season




Sea Turtle nesting season started on May 1st and goes to October 31st. Sea Turtles usually nest through September and hatching starts around July and goes through to October. This year, we saw a few nests prior to May 1st, this is consistent with trends that show that sea turtles are laying their eggs earlier each year.

Nesting has been steadily increasing since its lowest point in 2007. This year, we’re expecting the turtles that hatched in 2012, our biggest year so far, to return, so we’re hoping for another big year!

We ask beachgoers to fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before leaving the beach, and take all their beach furniture with them when they leave the beach. Please remember to keep lights from shining on the beach at night when the turtles are nesting. Sea turtles use lights to find their way back to the ocean and lights on the beach will cause the turtles to go the wrong way.

Mote Marine Laboratory is trying to get their Turtle Patrol volunteers out early, so they can catch new nests. If you would like more information about volunteer opportunities at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, please contact Mote at volunteerinfo@mote.org.

USACE Dredging Proposal Meeting


The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, the Siesta Key Village Association, the Siesta Key Association, and the Siesta Key Condominium Council will host a meeting to address a proposal by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to use the Big Pass shoal between Siesta Key and Lido Key as a source of sand to restore badly-eroded Lido beaches.

Anyone interested in learning more about the potential effects of the plan on the Siesta Key beaches and navigation in Big Pass is encouraged to attend the special meeting to be held at the St. Boniface Church Community Center located at 5615 Midnight Pass from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 11th.

Local architect, Mark Smith, will introduce panelists: Laird Wreford, Manager of Coastal Resources; Rob Patten, President of Coastal Dunes, Inc.; Jono Miller, Charter Fellow of the Florida Natural Resource Leadership Institute; and Peter van Roekens, Chair of Save our Siesta Sand & the Boaters' Coalition.

Brief presentations by each of the panelists will be capped by a presentation by Dr. Robert Young, Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines & Professor of Coastal Geology. The presentations will be followed by a question and answer session.