SFLDiver
Contributor
Posted FYI from an email received by my good buddy John with Surfrider.
Lake Worth Pier / Palm Beach dredge and fill project
Good news.
This morning the Army Corps of Engineers decided to extend the public comment period for the proposed 1.3 mile Town of Palm Beach dredge and fill project, which includes Kreusler Park and the entire Lake Worth Pier area. The comment period was extended from January 11th, until February 10th. The reason given for the extension was the level of "public concern". That concern was registered via many LOCAL individuals and groups who believe the project is ill-conceived and unnecessary. The project is NOT in a critically eroded area, and will NOT provide extra nesting area for endangered sea turtles, as stated in the application.
At least seven historic and prime surfing areas at or near the Lake Worth Pier will be ruined by the project if it is permitted by the Corps. Although the Corps would be authorizing a twenty million dollar project, they admit that all information in their notice was provided by the applicant (the Town of Palm Beach and their engineers), and had not been verified.
Many thanks to those groups and individuals sending comments and/or extension requests. They included: Surfrider Foundation, the City of Lake Worth, Palm Beach County's Division of Environmental Resource Management, the West Palm Beach Fishing Club, Florida Sportsman Magazine, local recreational divers and fishermen as well as many others.
Although this action is only an extension of the comment deadline, it may also help to enable a full public hearing, re-advertisement of the project, an environmental impact statement and hopefully a denial of the project altogether. None of these are certain, and we expect the town will use this time to justify that normal life in Palm Beach will be lost if the dredge and fill cannot be done on the beach.
The most impressive part of this successful effort to extend the comment period came from the editors of Florida Sportsman Magazine. Their print and online magazines included background information by Terry Gibson, including his recent in-depth, three-part series on the harm resulting from these dredge and fill projects.
http://www.floridasportsman.com/confron/0504144/index.html
I am drafting a petition today to make available at our Surfrider Foundation booth (#3003) at Surf Expo in Orlando starting tomorrow. During the next month we will be making our case for a full public hearing, with the intent to have the project denied. We believe we will have the support of the City of Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, the State of Florida, many local user-groups and concerned citizens. Even with this much opposition, the Corps has permitted similar projects in the past, without regard to the interests of the public. The Corps ALWAYS listens to the best interests of the public, but RARELY acts in favor of those interests. By taking an active role in this effort, you may help save one of the last "live sand" beaches in Palm Beach County.
Lake Worth Pier / Palm Beach dredge and fill project
Good news.
This morning the Army Corps of Engineers decided to extend the public comment period for the proposed 1.3 mile Town of Palm Beach dredge and fill project, which includes Kreusler Park and the entire Lake Worth Pier area. The comment period was extended from January 11th, until February 10th. The reason given for the extension was the level of "public concern". That concern was registered via many LOCAL individuals and groups who believe the project is ill-conceived and unnecessary. The project is NOT in a critically eroded area, and will NOT provide extra nesting area for endangered sea turtles, as stated in the application.
At least seven historic and prime surfing areas at or near the Lake Worth Pier will be ruined by the project if it is permitted by the Corps. Although the Corps would be authorizing a twenty million dollar project, they admit that all information in their notice was provided by the applicant (the Town of Palm Beach and their engineers), and had not been verified.
Many thanks to those groups and individuals sending comments and/or extension requests. They included: Surfrider Foundation, the City of Lake Worth, Palm Beach County's Division of Environmental Resource Management, the West Palm Beach Fishing Club, Florida Sportsman Magazine, local recreational divers and fishermen as well as many others.
Although this action is only an extension of the comment deadline, it may also help to enable a full public hearing, re-advertisement of the project, an environmental impact statement and hopefully a denial of the project altogether. None of these are certain, and we expect the town will use this time to justify that normal life in Palm Beach will be lost if the dredge and fill cannot be done on the beach.
The most impressive part of this successful effort to extend the comment period came from the editors of Florida Sportsman Magazine. Their print and online magazines included background information by Terry Gibson, including his recent in-depth, three-part series on the harm resulting from these dredge and fill projects.
http://www.floridasportsman.com/confron/0504144/index.html
I am drafting a petition today to make available at our Surfrider Foundation booth (#3003) at Surf Expo in Orlando starting tomorrow. During the next month we will be making our case for a full public hearing, with the intent to have the project denied. We believe we will have the support of the City of Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, the State of Florida, many local user-groups and concerned citizens. Even with this much opposition, the Corps has permitted similar projects in the past, without regard to the interests of the public. The Corps ALWAYS listens to the best interests of the public, but RARELY acts in favor of those interests. By taking an active role in this effort, you may help save one of the last "live sand" beaches in Palm Beach County.
