ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A new partnership between St. Johns County and a local company will ensure major shoreline projects stick to wildlife conservation efforts more efficiently while saving money.
Stephen Hammond, the deputy director of coastal management for St. Johns County, recently outlined the county’s new approach to managing shoreline projects, which emphasizes conservation, particularly for sea turtles.
The county’s beach restoration efforts, which involve replenishing sand on beaches after storms, aim to protect both upland properties and vital evacuation routes while ensuring the safety and preservation of local wildlife.
“So for usually it’s about three to five years after construction, we have to monitor certain things, like we have to monitor, do additional monitoring for sea turtles,” Hammond said.
A key component of the county’s strategy is monitoring sea turtles and nesting shorebirds as part of its Habitat Conservation Plan. This includes tasks such as escarpment knockdowns, where small cliffs formed on the beach after storms are leveled to ensure turtles can nest without obstacles. Additionally, the county tills the beach to soften the sand, making it more suitable for turtle nesting.
To enhance these conservation efforts, St. Johns County has partnered with Coastal Conservation Group for the next five years.
“It should help us stay organized and efficiently, say we have to do tilling, it’s a lot cheaper to get one tiller to come out and do the entire all of these project areas, then having to to piecemeal it and and maybe get different bids from different contractors, different years. We have a locked in price,
This partnership, approved by the county commission at last week’s meeting, aims to streamline the process, as the county previously hired different firms each year, which proved challenging and repetitive. By maintaining a consistent partnership, the county says it is able to efficiently meet permit requirements and focus on wildlife protection.
These are the highlighted projects:
- Ponte Vedra Beach Nourishment Project: Completed last year, this project is now undergoing post-construction monitoring to ensure minimal environmental impact.
- South Ponte Vedra Project Area: Completed three years ago, this project is nearing the end of its monitoring requirements, supporting ongoing wildlife conservation.
- Army Corps Projects at Vilano Beach and St. Augustine Beach: These projects, completed about a year and a half ago, are part of a partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, with post-construction monitoring now underway.
- FEMA Dune Enhancement Projects at Butler and Crescent Beach: Focused on dune restoration, these projects require monitoring of sea turtles.
The contract with Coastal Conservation Group is capped at $14 million, but Hammond clarified that this amount is not fully encumbered. The county budgets annually based on anticipated needs, such as monitoring and remediation efforts, with costs varying depending on storm activity.
The county’s efforts are cost-shared with state and federal partners, with reimbursement rates varying based on public access to project areas. For example, areas like St. Augustine Beach, which have more public access, can receive up to 50% reimbursement from the state.
Overall, the five-year plan aims to ensure that St. Johns County’s coastal management efforts are both effective and environmentally responsible, with a strong focus on protecting sea turtles and preserving the local ecosystem.