Don't miss this opportunity to connect with resilience and beach management professionals while gaining valuable insight into the policies, programs, and projects shaping Florida's coastlines and communities. 

Be sure to check out this year's program here and make your plans to join us September 23–25 at the Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor!

2026 FRC Student Travel Scholarship Award Recipients

Through the generous support of the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, FSBPA has awarded scholarships to four students from Florida universities to travel and attend the 2026 Florida Resilience Conference this September. The scholarships are an important and necessary opportunity for the professional growth of Florida’s future coastal scientists, engineers and policy makers.

Madeleine Hodges is a second-year master's student in Environmental Science at Florida Atlantic University in the Coastal Studies Lab. She previously earned her B.S. in Geography (Meteorology-Climatology) from Arizona State University. Her research focuses on how storms, coastal dynamics, and urbanization influence beach morphology on sea turtle nesting beaches. Through her work, Madeleine aims to advance understanding of coastal processes and contribute to climate resilience and coastal adaptation strategies.

Sydney Scott is a first-year Ph.D. student in Geology at the University of South Florida's Coastal Research Lab. Her research focuses on the morphodynamics of the newly reopened Midnight Pass in Sarasota following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as the inlet's historical evolution. As she continues her doctoral studies, Sydney plans to expand this research to further understand the long-term impacts of coastal change and inlet dynamics.

We are so excited to celebrate and congratulate these students at the conference this September!

Thank you to our 2026 Florida Resilience Conference Sponsors!

Meet our Newest Board Member: Tristan Sommer

Tristan Sommer earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and later completed his master’s degree at the University of Illinois, Springfield. Throughout his academic career, he explored a diverse range of interests—from classical piano performance and ecology to politics and government. At the onset of the Covid‑19 pandemic, Tristan returned to Florida to begin his career in government relations. 

Since 2021, Tristan has worked with several contract lobbying firms – discovering a strong passion for infrastructure, healthcare, insurance, and local government policy during his time with Greenberg Traurig. He later joined the Florida House of Representatives as a legislative aide to Representative Linda Chaney of Southwest Pinellas County. In the Legislature, Tristan drafted bills, developed amendments, secured critical funding, and helped advance significant legislation to improve the lives of Floridians. 

Tristan now serves as the Intergovernmental Liaison for Pinellas County, where he oversees state and federal legislative affairs. In this role, he has secured more than $17 million in state appropriations, defended the County’s legislative priorities, and played a key role in resolving a longstanding impasse with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding perpetual easements and federal cost‑share issues. 

Tristan is married to Jordan Parker Sommer and is the proud father of Knox Oliver Sommer.

Tristan is filling the seat previously held by Matthew Spoor, and we look forward to working him in this new role.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection 

August 2026 Update 

Beach Management Funding Assistance Program 

The Beach Management Funding Assistance Program’s (BMFA) Local Government Funding Request application window is open, and the deadline to apply is July 31, 2026. Updated application materials, guidance documents, and the application portal are available on the BMFA website. If you have any questions regarding eligibility or application requirements, please contact Beaches_Funding@FloridaDEP.gov.  

The BMFA Program has identified 70 active grants with a current expiration date of December 31, 2026. The program will be providing expiration notifications 90 days prior to the expiration to confirm if a grant extension is needed. If your local government requires longer timeframes for review or execution routing, please contact your BMFA grant manager to request the extension amendment further in advance.  

Coastal Construction Control Line Rule 

The department recently amended portions of Rule 62B-33, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), which provides procedures for permits and coastal construction and excavation seaward of the coastal construction control line. The rule revisions update and incorporate referenced forms and websites and add clarity to the rule consistent with statutory language. The amendments add definitions for armoring replacements and armoring updates. This will allow for more streamlined permitting for armoring repair and reconstruction following erosive events. The rule changes incorporate sea level changes over time into the modeling analysis and evaluation of proposed projects. More detail was added to turtle protective criteria, including adding criteria that will be considered to determine when balcony and deck railings must be tinted to protect marine turtles, their nests and nesting habitat. The changes also added minimum design criteria for the armoring portion of the rule and adjusted the threshold for vulnerability for armoring based on more frequent storms occurring to meet the definition of a high frequency storm event.    

The newly adopted rule can be found at Rule Chapter 62B-33. 

Critically Eroded Beaches in Florida, June 2026 Report 

There were three new segments, totaling 6.7 miles, added to the critical erosion report in 2026. A northern Flagler County segment (5.7 miles) and a segment (0.2 mile) at Vanderbilt Beach in Collier County were added for continuity of management. A segment (0.8 mile) in Lee County was added to the southeastern end of Sanibel Island due to storm induced erosion in 2022 and 2024. 

The 2026 report list includes 457.8 miles of critically eroded beach, 9.1 miles of critically eroded inlet shoreline, 88.9 miles of non-critically eroded beach and 3.2 miles of non-critically eroded inlet shoreline statewide. The report can be found at Critically Eroded Beaches. 

Big Hickory Pass Inlet Management Plan Adopted in June 

Big Hickory Pass is in southern Lee County on the southwest Gulf coast of Florida between Big Hickory Island to the north and Bonita Beach to the south, and between DEP range/reference monuments R225 and R226. Lee County is responsible for nourishment on Bonita Beach and sand bypassing at Big Hickory Pass. Strategies include conducting a comprehensive beach and inlet hydrographic monitoring program. Average annual target inlet sand bypassing quantities shall be 17,300 cubic yards of sand south on Bonita Beach and 2,200 cubic yards to the north onto Big Hickory Island. Natural sand bypassing shall continue, additional sand sources shall be permitted, and the two terminal groins on Bonita beach shall be repaired and maintained.  See the full plan at Big Hickory Pass Inlet Management Plan. 

Call for Abstracts for the 40th Annual Beach Preservation Technology Conference is now OPEN!

The Call for Abstracts for the 40th Annual Conference on Beach Preservation Technology is open now!

For more information, visit the call for abstracts page on our website!

🔹 Submission Deadline: October 12, 2026 

🔹 Location: Marriott Hutchinson Island Resort, Stuart, FL

🔹 Conference Dates: February 3–5, 2027 

PO Box 13146, Tallahassee FL 32317

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