| "We have a positive relationship with local governments because we're giving them something they need." | |
| Teresa Divers, Florida Coastal Management Program |
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Less than one percent of coastal county residents in Florida own oceanfront property and thousands of visitors every year flock to the shore, so it is vital that access ways to the beach be clearly marked and easy to find. Coastal resource managers in the state are providing beach access signs free to local governments to help tourists and residents find their way to the water.
The three-year-old signage program has "been really well received," says Teresa Divers, local program assistance coordinator for the Florida Coastal Management Program. "We have a positive relationship with local governments because we're giving them something they need."
Divers says the idea for the signs came out of a 1995 study that found only 35 percent of access points on publicly owned lands were adequately marked. In their efforts to get to the beach, people might cross dunes or damage sensitive habitat.
Among the study's recommendations was the idea that the coastal program "come up with a standardized sign that would be easily recognizable at existing access points," Divers explains. "We decided to pursue that recommendation because it seemed like a fairly easy one to accomplish."
The Department of Community Affairs' in-house publications designer came up with an emblem that was "simple, easy to reproduce, and featured the coastal program's logo." Program staff then contacted several sign companies. "We explained what we wanted and they gave us recommendations on size and materials," Divers says.
The result is a sign that is 18 by 24 inches, and is made out of 0.063 engineer-grade reflective aluminum. The signs have a white background with a royal blue border, with "Beach Access" clearly legible. Local governments are given the option of including their community's name, and the municipalities that request the signs are required to furnish all the labor and hardware necessary for installation.
Notices that the signs are available are printed in the coastal program's newsletter, as well as publications of the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. In the first year about 500 local governments requested the signs. In 1998, the coastal program received 300 requests. In 1999, a brochure was produced that was mailed to local governments and distributed at meetings and events around the state. The number of requests for signs jumped to 530. The signs are ordered once a year, and Divers says the 1999 sign order cost the coastal program about $10,000, which included production and shipping to the communities.
Divers notes that communities placing orders are surveyed after the signs are delivered to get feedback on the program and the quality of the signs. "We usually get about a 20 percent response rate, and they are all positive. The local governments are really appreciative. They often request that we add signs such as 'Stay off the Dunes,' or 'Don't Pick the Sea Oats.'" Currently the coastal program is examining the possibility of expanding to include such signage.
"It's been a positive program," Divers says. "It's something that is really visible. People are starting to recognize the signs, and it's increasing our visibility. We're providing something that local governments need, but is not going to be high on their priority list. Beach access gets put on the back burner a lot. This is a simple way to solve the problem."
For more information about Florida's beach access signs, contact Teresa Divers at (850) 922-5438, or teresa.divers@dca.state.fl.us.
