Conference Registration Fee Update 

At its September meeting, the Board approved a $50 increase in registration fees for the 2026 educational conferences. This adjustment is necessary to help offset rising event-management costs, including food, beverage, and audio-visual services. The Tech Conference registration fee was last increased ten years ago, and the Annual Conference four years prior. We remain committed to keeping our events affordable and accessible and hope this modest increase does not affect your ability to participate.

2026 Legislative Session Preview

The 2026 Legislative Session convenes on January 13, and although committee weeks progressed at a snail's pace, FSBPA is already actively tracking several bills of interest, including SB 302: Nature-based Solutions for Improving Coastal Resilience, and SB 636: Beach Management. FSBPA’s President, Pepper Uchino, will provide a pre-session overview in next month’s edition of Shoreline to help members stay informed on key policy developments. 

2026 Tech Conference Program Now Available

We are pleased to announce the program for the 2026 Tech Conference has been released. This year’s agenda features a strong lineup of presentations and discussions, and we extend our appreciation to the planning committee for its thoughtful work in putting the program together. 

Prior to the start of the conference, we will also be hosting our second Outlook on Coastal Dredging Projects Workshop at 10:15 a.m., on February 4. The workshop will feature presentations by FDEP and USACE on project schedules, equipment needs, and other relevant information. We encourage attendees to plan travel accordingly so they can participate in this valuable workshop. 

Thank you again for your support throughout the year. We look forward to an exciting and productive 2026! 

Happy Holidays,  

Pepper, Jackie, Teri, Lisa, and Alexis

Register for the 2026 Beach Technology Conference!

Reserve your room in St. Augustine Beach today!

Early Registration Rates (Through January 9, 2026):

• Member: $425
• Non-Member: $550
• Full-Time Student: $125

Note: You or your organization must be a current member of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association (FSBPA) to receive the member rate.



Take advantage of the guaranteed group rate of $229 per night (single/double, plus taxes) by booking early.

Valet parking is available at a discounted rate of $25 per day (plus tax), and the daily resort fee is waived for conference attendees.

The hotel will honor the group rate as long as rooms remain in FSBPA's room block or until January 9, 2026 — whichever occurs first.

Become a Sponsor!

The National Conference on Beach Preservation Technology offers an excellent opportunity for sponsors to demonstrate their services and products to decision-makers and user groups.

For information or questions regarding available sponsorships, please contact Teri Besse or Alexis Brown.

Sponsorships Prospectus (to reserve your sponsorship, click here) and to see the what is still available, click here and scroll to the bottom of the web page.

Announcing the 2026 Outlook on Florida Coastal Dredging Projects Workshop 

The Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association is pleased to announce its second annual workshop providing a forward-looking overview of coastal dredging projects anticipated for construction in the next 12–18 months. 

This year’s free workshop will once again feature federal and state/local project updates, with presentations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Attendees will gain timely insight into upcoming project schedules, equipment needs, permitting and coordination considerations, and opportunities to support more efficient and cost-effective regional project planning. 

Whether you are an industry professional, coastal engineer, scientist, contractor, or beach manager, this workshop offers a valuable chance to better understand the scope of upcoming dredging work—from bidding to construction phases—and engage directly with agency experts.

Who Should Attend: 

• Government Agencies 
• Local Government Beach and Coastal Managers 
• Inlet and Navigation Districts 
• Dredging Companies 
• Coastal Engineering and Science Firms

Workshop Details: 

• When: February 4 | 10:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m. EST (prior to the Tech Conference) 
• Where: St. Augustine Beach Embassy Suites 
• Format: 90 minutes of presentations followed by 15 minutes of Q&A 
• Registration: No registration required—just attend! 
• Lunch: Ample time to enjoy lunch on-site before the 2026 Tech Conference begins.

This workshop provides a unique opportunity to connect with experts and gain a clearer picture of the coastal dredging work ahead. We look forward to seeing you at this informative and impactful event! 

Hurricane Milton on Photo Credit: NASA Worldview, NOAA

Beach Management Funding Assistance 

The Beach Management Funding Assistance Program is nearing completion of its annual Local Government Funding Request (LGFR) process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27. The final LGFR that will be provided to the Florida Legislature includes 42 beach projects and nine inlet projects, with a combined total state request of $183.88 million. Projects were evaluated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for program eligibility and readiness to proceed then were ranked in accordance with criteria outlined in Sections 161.101(14) and 161.143(2), Florida Statutes, and Rule 62B-36, Florida Administrative Code. DEP would like to thank the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, Sea Turtle Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Florida Association of Counties and the representatives from state universities who participated in the External Review Team Process. In addition to the LGFR, the FY 2026-27 through FY 2030-31 Long-Range Budget Plan, which helps outline future state funding needs, and the FY 2025-26 Financial Summary and Accountability Report will be provided to the Florida Legislature. Once provided to the Florida Legislature, all three finalized documents will be available on the Beach Management Funding Assistance Program webpage.

Coastal Construction Control Line Rulemaking Update 



DEP is proposing updates to the Rules and Procedures for Coastal Construction and Excavation, (Permits for Construction Seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line and Fifty-foot Setback). A notice of rule development was published in the Florida Administrative Register on Aug. 7, 2025, and a workshop was held on Sept. 11, 2025. All updates, including when the notice of proposed rule, will be published in the Florida Administrative Register and the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection’s webpage.

For more information, please contact Douglas.Aarons@FloridaDEP.gov

Emergency Final Orders from 2024 Hurricanes 

The Governor’s Executive Orders for the 2024 hurricanes were recently extended, which extended the state-issued Emergency Final Orders (EFO) issued for these storms. Unless extended, the EFO for Hurricane Milton will expire on Jan. 24, 2026, and the EFO for Hurricanes Debby and Helene will expire on Jan. 6, 2026. For more information, please visit the Executive Office of the Governor’s webpage.

Florida Beaches Are Top-Ranked in the Southeast  

James Houston, Emeritus, Engineer Research and Development Center, Corps of Engineers

In July 2025, Beach.com analyzed 1,300 beaches in the Southeast U.S., and the top-ranked 14 were all in Florida! In fact, 47 of the top-ranked 50 were all Florida beaches. At each beach, the following 10 key factors were analyzed using data and expert judgment: 

• Blue Water Color 
• Crystal Clear Water Clarity 
• Ease of Beach Access 
• Pristine Environment 
• Clean and Safe Facilities 
• Strong Positive Emotions from Beachgoers 
• A Well-Rounded Experience 
• Proximity to Transportation 
• Well-reviewed on Google 
• Highly reviewed on Google 

Based on the analyses, ratings were developed in the following six areas: 

• Water color 
• Water clarity 
• Beach access 
• Environmental conditions 
• Facilities 
• Strong opinion (guided by the number of posted Google reviews and their ratings) 

The top 14 beaches (ties have the same rank) in the six areas among the 1,300 analyzed are (counties in parentheses): 

1. Ocean Reef Park, Riviera Beach (Palm Beach) 

2. Riviera Beach, Riviera Beach (Palm Beach) 

3. John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, North Palm Beach (Palm Beach) 

4. Carlin Park, Jupiter (Palm Beach) 

5. Pompano Beach Fisher Family Pier, Pompano Beach (Broward) 

6. Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Beach (Escambia) 

7. Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Palm Coast (Flagler) 

7. Jaycee Park, Vero Beach (Indian River) 

9. Grayton Beach State Park, Santa Rosa Beach (Walton) 

9. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (Broward) 

9. Coral Cove Park, Tequesta (Palm Beach) 

9. Juno Beach Park, Juno Beach (Palm Beach) 

13. Las Olas Beach, Ft Lauderdale (Broward) 

14. Pepper Park Beach, Fort Pierce (St Lucie) 

The first non-Florida beach is Huntington Beach State Park at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, which ranks 15. 

Rounding out the top 25 are:

16. Humiston Beach Park, Vero Beach (Indian River) 

17. Jupiter Beach Park, Jupiter (Palm Beach) 

18. Lighthouse Point Park, Ponce Inlet (Volusia) 

19. Loggerhead Park, Juno Beach (Palm Beach) 

20. Inlet Beach Regional Access, Rosemary Beach (Walton) 

21. Ft Lauderdale Beach, Ft Lauderdale (Broward) 

21. Round Island Beach Park, Vero Beach (Indian River)  

23. Gulfstream Park, Delray Beach (Palm Beach) 

23. Haulover Park, Miami Beach (Miami-Dade) 

23. Navarre Beach, Navarre (Santa Rosa) 

Would you like to know the ranking of your favorite beach and its score in the six areas? Go to: 2025. Study Finds the 12 Best Beaches in the Southeast US - Out of 1,300.

Scores were assigned to 365 of the 1,300 beaches analyzed. Of those, 267 (73%) were located in Florida, 46 in North Carolina, 35 in South Carolina, and 17 in Georgia. If you click on one of the 365 beaches on a map displayed on the website, a Google Map with the beach location will appear, along with reviews and a chart showing how busy the beach is each hour of each day. 

There are “winners” in individual areas. Delray Public Beach, Delray Beach (Palm County) was number 1 as having both the bluest and clearest water. Crescent Beach at St Augustine Beach (St Johns County) holds the top spot for environmental conditions, with Beach.com saying, “No other beach in the entire analysis is as highly praised for its clean and pristine environment.” Siesta Beach, Siesta Key (Sarasota County), was cited as the most reviewed beach with over 25,000 Google reviews and a strong 4.8-star average rating.  

There were some non-Florida winners in individual areas. For instance, Bonnett Street Public Beach Access in Nags Head, North Carolina, was number 1 for both its accessibility and its most positive, strong user opinions. The Great Dunes Pavilion in Jekyll Island, Georgia, was number 1 in the facilities condition category. The beaches with the highest average star rating on Google (4.9) are Frisco Beach in Hatteras, North Carolina, and Cumberland Island National Seashore in St. Marys, Georgia, although both had relatively small numbers of reviews. Florida beaches rule. Of the 100 beaches with the highest rankings, 89 are in Florida! 

Of course, “… beaches are the most important feature of Florida’s brand and have the strongest effect in terms of attracting tourists.” 

Source linked here

Photo credit: Palm Beach County

PO Box 13146, Tallahassee FL 32317

Phone: (850) 906-9227 • mail@fsbpa.com