Palm Beach Island Beach Management Agreement Pilot Project

In 2012, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Beaches and Coastal Systems initiated a pilot project designed to take a regional approach to permitting beach nourishment and inlet management. Currently, the department’s beach nourishment efforts are permitted on a project-by-project basis.

This pilot project includes about 15 miles of shoreline and stretches across several public and private boundary lines from the Lake Worth/Palm Beach Inlet to the South Lake Worth/Boynton Inlet in Palm Beach County (view map). The department worked with local governments and other groups in a stakeholder-driven process to develop a cooperative agreement to managing this stretch of shoreline, as a whole.

Collaborative efforts among stakeholders to develop this agreement included identifying beach nourishment and inlet management needs, cost-sharing opportunities and permitting requirements for this beach region rather than for a single beach project.

By taking a regional approach to restoration, DEP will improve the effectiveness of its program and the health of our beaches by focusing on areas where restoration will have the greatest environmental benefit and the best chance of long-term success.

Annual stakeholder meetings are held to provide a review of annual monitoring date, track progress of the BMA and update stakeholders about new BMA updates.

Download the BMA

BMA Updates

Join us for the annual Palm Beach Island Beach Management Agreement (BMA) stakeholder meeting:

• August 24, 2023 at 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., at the town of Palm Beach Town Hall (Second Floor; 360 South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480). 

The stakeholder meeting is a public meeting open to all interested parties. The meeting will provide an overview of the Palm Beach Island BMA, will present the annual monitoring data (physical, turtle, hardbottom) and will review any projects or adaptive management updates.

For questions, contact Lainie Edwards.

Related Links

• Nearshore Hardbottom in Southeastern Florida