Coastal Policy

Beach Renourishment
FWF is engaged in a plan to develop coastal policies which will preserve storm prone coastal and floodplain properties which buffer the built environment, save taxpayer dollars by reducing exposure to storm damage, save the lives of our citizens and their property, and increase protection and restoration of coastal habitats.

The plan will serve to further reduce residents’ debt exposure and the subsidies that encourage irresponsible coastal development in environmentally sensitive areas. At the same time, one effect will be to help create a more favorable environment for private insurers, including reinsurance entities. FWF has been a leader among environmental groups on these issues because of our concern that subsidized insurance and reinsurance costs incentivize development in environmentally sensitive areas, further compounding Florida’s already sizable hurricane and flood risk exposure.

Sea Turtle Protection
FWF is working with conservation allies to promote conservation of sea turtle nesting beaches along Florida’s coasts. Our most recent success in this area was to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to agree to require sea turtle conservation considerations in the issuance of federal flood insurance. FWF is working with reinsurance companies to highlight the value of natural barrier islands, natural features and wetlands to buffer and protect built environments.

Following last year’s successful relocation of nests of threatened and endangered sea turtles along the Gulf Coast to oil-free habitats on Florida’s Atlantic coast, FWF continues to partner with the Sea Turtle Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation to protect marine turtle nesting beaches. FWF promotes implementation of the Florida Beaches Habitat Conservation Plan and is initiating a comprehensive reevaluation of the state coastal Construction Control Line Program. Along with other groups represented by EarthJustice, FWF also works to reduce sea turtle mortalities associated with long-lining and trawling.

Florida Wildlife Federation has successfully engaged in litigation at the state and federal levels which resulted in the requirement that shrimp trawlers employ sea turtle extruder devices. FWF has also supported efforts to eliminate non-selective fishing gear to reduce impacts to sea turtles and other marine species. We also joined with the National Wildlife Federation in producing the Class of 2010 Sea Turtle Homecoming Report which discusses sea turtle conservation and impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil disaster.

Florida Wildlife Federation is working closely with a coalition of partners on a citizens’ petition campaign, Save our Seas, Beaches, and Shores, to place a near-shore oil drilling ban in the state constitution. If successful, Florida voters will get a chance to decide whether or not we want to risk oil drilling close to our beaches which serve as a vital part of our economic and environmental health. The campaign website is www.sosbs.org. FWF, represented by EarthJustice, intervened on behalf of the State of Florida in a multi-year legal campaign to end long term oil drilling leases off the west coast of Florida. The leases were bought back in 2006 ending for a time the potential to drill in Florida waters.