Local

The NBC2 Investigators found out exclusively that Southwest Florida leaders are putting aside political differences to work together on environmental issues.

Colonial-era homes line the streets of The Point in Newport, R.I. Climate change is forcing experts to reimagine the future of historic preservation here.

There isn’t much left of the former Borough of Island Beach half a century after its official dissolution in 1965 as an Ocean County municipality incorporated just 32 years earlier.

“Wishful thinking,” says Mayor Dan Tuman

Goal is to fulfill affordable state housing mandate

The company that manages the railroad on Virginia's Eastern Shore notified government officials earlier this month that it will petition to abandon the line from Hallwood south to Cape Charles.

The temporary beach access path on the north end of the Protogroup hotel and condominium project is more like a path through a construction site. And it’s not baby carriage friendly.

STONINGTON, MAINE — There’s good news from Augusta for two Downeast towns.

The Atlantic Reefmaker is a wave-breaking technology used in inlets, but not oceanfronts. After receiving $5 million from the legislature last year, the Resource Institute proposed using the technology — sold by one of its primary contractors — for hurricane resilience. North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach officials have objected to both the Reefmaker and the Resource Institute, the latter of which they say has little expertise in coastal projects.

SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA — Officials say event permits keep beaches from “getting out of hand.”

BELMAR, NJ — With three weekends in the books, Belmar beach badge sales are rolling in — at substantially higher levels than last year.

A lawsuit filed by property owners on the Currituck Outer Banks contends that the county has misspent $60 million in occupancy tax proceeds since 2004 on projects and services that did little or nothing to promote or expand tourism.

ST. MARTINVILLE — The St. Martin Parish Council will meet Tuesday night to discuss a proposed $10.25 million bond issue based on Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act funds.

What happens with the food truck revolution comes to a beach town near you? New rules and regulations.

Millions of Floridians flush toilets, take showers and wash clothes every day with little thought about all the waste flowing down the drains and into their septic tanks.

Beaches. Fixing them, maintaining them and paying for it all years into the future will likely be topics of conversation, study and — possibly — an election in early 2020 as the town advances toward a new shoreline management plan.

Local county taxes -- especially hotel accommodation taxes -- play an important role in funding coastal projects all around the aAmerican shoreline. Charlotte County, Florida -- hime o Manasota Key and Don Pedro-Knight Island -- prove an example for effective local coastal spending.

SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) - The town is looking to pay for a roughly $10 million replacement to one of its most iconic landmarks: the fishing pier.

Walking along a wooden path winding through Nease Beachfront Park in St. Augustine, Danny Lippi pointed to coastal trees sprouting from the shrubbery around him. The exotic species were brought here by warming temperatures — bringing business opportunities for the local arborist.

Georgia has issued more than 200 coastal swimming advisories since 2007. Some beaches are so perpetually polluted, they carry permanent warnings.

South Carolina - Officials in the Town of Pawleys Island say the latest beach renourishment project is on track and that crews should begin placing sand on the beach this fall.

WESTPORT, Mass. (WJAR) — Officials in Westport are drawing a line in the sand when it comes to people taking rocks off the town’s beaches. If you’re caught, it could cost you hundreds of dollars.

CLEARWATER — Hank Hodde will become Pinellas County’s new Sustainability and Resilience Coordinator in July

Straw banners have sucked victory from the jaws of defeat.

MILTON — At the April 11 commission regular meeting, the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners proposed amendments to the initial multi-year implementation plan that was accepted by the U.S. Treasury in May 2017.

BOGUE BANKS, BEAUFORT — The summer tourism season is almost here, and several towns in Carteret County are preparing their paid parking programs.

SEATTLE - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed several bills Wednesday designed to help the Pacific Northwest’s endangered orcas, measures that he said gave him hope the species might be saved.

CCA-Louisiana, volunteers continue Floating Islands Restoration Project

In 2018, sewer lines across Greensboro released more than 3.5 million gallons of untreated sewage onto roads and into waterways.

FLORIDA - In the April 2 St. Johns County Commission meeting, the Board of County Commissioners decided to move forward with a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for a paid parking program for off-beach parking lots. Based on the community feedback and public comment, however, county staff has a difficult task ahead with balancing the area’s expectations and limited resources.

KEY BISCAYNE FLORIDA - In another step toward burying power lines, Key Biscayne Village Manager Andrea Agha is asking the Village Council to approve a formal resolution of “intent” to borrow up to $50 million for the project through a bond issue.

Coastal Alabama leaders are joining up in opposition over two pieces of legislation that would remove cities from enforcing plastics.

Florida: The St. Johns County Commission made a move toward implementing a paid parking program for off-beach lots, but the final decision is yet to come.

A proposal to help fund beach renourishment by charging a parking fee at Pawleys Island (South Carolina) beach accesses narrowly survived a vote to kill the idea. The town’s ad hoc finance committee this week deadlocked on a motion to drop the proposed fee from its recommendation to Town Council.

The Naples City Council agreed Wednesday to spend the nearly $26 million it expects to receive from the Collier County sales tax increase on preparing for the next big hurricane and improving safety.

Nationwide, communities are becoming cognizant of the need to plan for the impacts of climate change, but too often, they aren’t sure how to implement climate adaptation plans, particularly in smaller, rural areas with fewer resources, according to officials at a climate leadership conference.

The Captiva Erosion Prevention District's board continued to discuss the proposed apportionment methodology for the island's 2020-2021 beach renourishment project at its regular meeting.

New Jersey - Little Egg Harbor Township ( Ocean County, New Jersey) held a special meeting March 15 with Mystic Island residents who live on the waterfront east of Radio Road. The township has seen the success of dredging Osborn Island lagoons through use of a special assessment levied on those waterfront dwellers and is now extending the question to the 526 property owners on 12 lagoons that lead to Rose Creek.

In lieu of the traditional shovel groundbreaking, Miami City Commission chair Ken Russell, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Miami city manager Emilio T. Gonzalez (pictured l-r) perform the ceremonial water toss to mark the start of the first Miami Forever Bond project tackling flooding and sea-level rise. (Photo by City of Miami Office of Communications)

Local funds will match state, federal grants for S. Ponte Vedra, Vilano Beach

In some ways, Miami Beach is lucky. With high real estate prices and millions in tax revenue from a robust tourist trade, the city has been able to cobble together funds to wage its war with the sea in a way that poorer ones must envy. Under Gelber, it recently appropriated another $140 million, bringing the total program budget to $650 million.

The St. Johns County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and County Commission will look at possible changes to the amount and structure of the county’s tourist development tax.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. - Paid parking has become a hot topic in many coastal communities from St Augustine Beach up to Neptune Beach.

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Visit South Walton has already started renovating five beach access points and adding three new ones.

Interstate 73 isn’t off the map, Myrtle Beach City Council said as it sped into the final reading of a tax and fee re-allocation ordinance package.

MANATEE -- As government officials began the annual budget process, the wish list for improvements across Manatee County ballooned quickly, prompting an inquiry into an untapped source of revenue — paid beach parking.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina -(WMBF) - Three coastal cities have taken the initial steps to stop Horry County from collecting a 1.5 percent hospitality fee from inside city limits. The hospitality fee is collected on prepared meals, admission and accommodations.

RALEIGH – For coastal North Carolina, where many communities are still reeling from the effects of last year’s storms, the top local requests for help from the General Assembly so far fall in two interrelated categories: sand and money.

OAK ISLAND, NC (WECT) - About 130 people packed Oak Island Town Hall on Tuesday night for a special meeting with most in attendance to discuss the debate over whether the town should implement paid parking by the beach.

Residents heard an update on the county's 1-cent sales tax

There are growing concerns about both the safety and proliferation of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller.