Walton County's Obstructions on the Beach Ordinance

As part of the Surfrider Foundation Emerald Coast Chapter's public beach access campaign, the Chapter supports safe, low impact public beach access in Walton County.  As such, Surfrider has supported proper enforcement of Walton County's Obstructions on the Beach Ordinance, which among other things, prohibits placement of ropes, chains, and signs on Walton County beaches.  These items have popped up more and more frequently along Florida's Emerald Coast coastline, and constitute public nuisances.  They endanger beachgoers' health and safety, by restricting access for emergency responders like lifeguards, and are items which themselves have the potential to trip or otherwise injure beachgoers.  Surfrider members have on multiple occasions seen dangerous concrete bases sticking out of the sand, where presumably, signs once stood, but were washed away.  Furthermore, in addition to posing physical nuisances, signs often keep beachgoers off the dry sand beach which the public has utilized in Walton County for generations, and which the public therefore has a right to continue to access.  Therefore, at public meetings and workshops, Surfrider Foundation members encouraged Walton County to strengthen and clarify that these nuisance items are prohibited from Walton County beaches.  This advocacy ultimately resulted in a victory, when the Walton County Board of Commissioners adopted a revised Obstructions on the Beach ordinance, in June, 2016, which clearly prohibits obstructions including fences, ropes, chains, and signs from Walton County beaches.  The Chapter will continue to engage and encourage the County to fully enforce the ordinance, in furtherance of the public's right to safely access Walton County beaches.