Governor DeSantis signs legislation to expedite coastal restoration

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1622 yesterday, legislation that restores local authority to recognize recreational customary use of Florida’s beaches and streamlines beach restoration efforts in small Gulf Coast counties.

“Senate Bill 1622 protects public beach access and streamlines beach restoration in Gulf Coast counties,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I was happy to be in Santa Rosa Beach to sign this legislation – it is a win for recreation, for tourism and for future generations.”

The legislation also improves the process for restoring eroded beaches in certain Gulf Coast counties for those with fewer than 275,000 residents and at least three municipalities, by allowing the state to use the mean high-water line as the erosion control line, eliminating duplicative procedures that delay critical restoration projects.

In addition, SB 1622:

• Grants the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) the authority to advance restoration work in areas already declared critically eroded as of August 2024,
  
   
• Ensures that beach renourishment investments are directed toward real restoration efforts,
  
   
• Clarifies that the state is not expanding public ownership beyond what is already recognized by law, protecting private property rights while advancing projects in the public interest.