During a busy week three of legislative session, Surfrider led our annual Florida Healthy Beaches Day with advocates from our chapters and clubs across the state traveling to the Capitol to meet with legislators about ocean and coastal priorities. Florida Healthy Beaches Day provides an opportunity for Surfrider members to meet with legislators in-person to share their personal stories and the work they are doing on the ground to address key coastal issues.
Surfrider advocates from Broward, First Coast, FSU, Miami, Palm Beach, Paradise Coast (our newest chapter in the state!), and Volusia-Flagler spoke with decision-makers about protecting clean water and public health, advancing coastal resilience, and preventing plastic pollution. We were thrilled to be joined by partners from Clean Miami Beach and Oceana for ocean advocacy in Tallahassee. Through Florida Healthy Beaches Day, we met with and visited over 40 legislative offices.
This week, also saw several bills Surfrider is following closely up for votes. On Monday, SB1822 Regulation of Auxiliary Containers, sponsored by Senator Jonathan Martin, passed the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, its first committee stop. Ahead of the meeting, Surfrider Florida members sent countless emails and made phone calls to committee members urging them not to support a bill that would expand the statewide preemption on containers. The bill would preempt regulation of containers from a range of materials – eliminating existing local laws regulating some plastics and negating existing rules for food packaging in state parks. Surfrider provided public comment at the meeting emphasizing the waste management crisis throughout the state that would be exacerbated by further tying the hands of local governments, as well as widespread public support for taking action on plastics. Unfortunately, the bill passed 5-3, however, committee members opposed to the legislation highlighted the thousands of calls and emails they received in opposition to this bill. SB1822 and its House companion HB565 each have two committee stops remaining. Surfrider will continue to track and oppose this legislation.
Also up in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee was SB1148 Carbon Sequestration, sponsored by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez. The bill would establish a state-level task force, comprised of representatives from Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, the Office of Resiliency and Coastal Protection, environmental nonprofit, and academia, to assess land and water potential across the state for carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration refers to the long-term storage of carbon in soil, plants, geologic formation, and the ocean. This natural capture and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide contributes to resilience and mitigation efforts. The task force would assess statewide potential in water and working lands and provide recommendations for a statewide carbon sequestration program. Surfrider supports this bill and its House companion, HB1063, and expressed support at the Senate committee meeting. SB1148 passed 8-0 and now has two remaining committee stops in the Senate.
On Wednesday, CS/SB50 Nature-based Methods for Improving Coastal Resilience, sponsored by Senator Ileana Garcia, was on the special order calendar for a vote before the full Senate. This bill directs FDEP to engage in rulemaking for mangrove restoration, dune vegetation, and living shorelines. (including mangrove planting and dune vegetation) as well as infrastructure-focused provisions. The bill also requires FDEP to conduct a statewide feasibility study on nature-based methods, coastal flood reduction, and effects on the National Flood Insurance Program costs. Other provisions in the bill focus on guidelines and standards for hybrid green-gray infrastructure and rulemaking for other structures like “living seawalls.” These provisions would require more monitoring and engagement to ensure they do not negatively impact sandy beaches or existing natural coastlines. The bill passed the full Senate floor unanimously – a major step toward improving nature-based options for resilience efforts across the state of Florida. The House companion bill, CS/HB371, passed its second committee stop on Thursday. It will go before one final committee before a vote from the full House.
We are almost at session’s halfway point, a time when it becomes clearer what legislation is making its way to the finish line and what bills will not be on the move this year. We are continuing to push for our top priorities – improving and funding beach water quality programs to protect clean water and public health, advancing coastal resiliency with nature-based solutions, and preventing plastic pollution.