blog post 1
Hailee Bryan
3/9/2022
Professor Jenkins
American Government and Politics
Blog Post #1
The gradual privatization of beaches is a growing issue especially on the coast of Florida. Being from Northwest Florida, this issue directly affects my family, friends, and my community. The beaches of the Emerald Coast are enjoyed by locals and visitors to the areas during all seasons of the year. The area is known for its stunning, white-sand beaches and emerald green waters. It is no wonder why locals and tourists love the area the same. However, recently the area is in a bit of a dispute, where does the public line end and private begin? Private landowners on the beach believe the water is the fine line, while others believe that any area of white sand is fair game. So, the question still remains… where do we draw the line?
From the private owner’s perspective, they bought the land, the house, and pay taxes on the property. One private landowner says that the umbrella’s and tourists are an “eyesore” while another adds on the trash left behind by beachgoers is “unreal” and a “hassle to clean up”. These are very realistic issues; however, I feel as though the trash problem could be solved. More trashcans around the area could fix this issue.
I relate more to the public side of this disagreement. Being from northern Walton County, approximately 40 miles from the beach, public beach access is the only option for my family. If private owners continue to push property lines closer and closer to the water, public beach accessibility would continue to dwindle as well as tourism into the area. Tourism is a major source of funding for the state and local businesses and without public beach access one can only expect tourism to drop.
Weighing out both issues at hand, I feel as though all beaches should remain open for public access. The beach is a place for families to go and enjoy themselves and the beauty on the coast and being packed on small “public beach access” spots will not make for the most memorable experiences.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0962629815000384
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/001088049403500222