At Tuesday’s Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners Budget Review Workshop, Commissioner Mel Ponder gave an update on the status of Redneck Beach being closed.
According to Ponder, he and Destin Mayor Gary Jarvis met with 96th Test Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Scott Cain to discuss the possibility of allowing usage of the East Pass Beach Access area.
The Issue
The popular East Pass Beach Area was closed by 96th Test Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Scott Cain back in May 2020 due to illegal commercial activity happening on the federal property, along with trash being dumped and parking issues.
“General Cain had the same resolve as before in that he wants to leave it shut,” said Ponder. “The one thing that came up was that boats would be able to get to the wet sand portion.”
- That is, by boat only. You cannot park at the base of the Marler bridge or walk over the sand dunes to access the area.
At last week’s Destin City Council meeting, Mayor Jarvis made similar remarks:
“Boaters can still use that area. They just have to come by boat and they’re not allowed to go past the wet sand,” said Jarvis. “There are signs that say you can’t go past the wet sand because of the sensitive biodiversity that’s there.”
According to Mayor Jarvis, Park Security is making sure that guests are abiding by these rules and will enforce the wet sand rule if violated.
“If they see somebody that has pulled their boat up there, put a tent up and they’re picnicking on the dry sand, they asked them to remove it,” he continued. “The guests can stay, but they have to stay around their boats.”
“I wanted to make sure they knew that whether it’s trash or any of the other concerns that they may have had, that we were actually willing to partner with them at any time,” continued Ponder on Tuesday. “But at this point in time, General Cain wants to leave it closed.”
One Response
Our Mayor Ponder offered the assistance of Destin to preserve and protect the dunes. But General Cains decision indicates he thinks the Air Force is capable and Destin is incapable of protecting the dunes. General Cains arrogant decision was to put up 8ft fences and Jersey concrete barriers reminiscent of a concentration camp. That’s what tourists see as they approach the Welcome to Destin sign at the foot of Marler bridge. Then evidently the Air Force became derelict in its duty to protect the dunes. Put up a fence and forget the fact that 10s of thousands of civilians must live here… people who really do care for the dunes.
Well here we are in 2023 with “military control” and the dunes are destroyed.
The Crab Island Genie will never go back in the bottle. For hundreds of years civilians have proven fireworks can be safe. The fireworks genie isn’t going back in the bottle. We must work together civilians and military joining forces to make this work as neighbors.
But an arrogant General Cain decision has cost us the protection that the dunes provide Destin. Lives are now at stake
Here are some specific ways that the military and civilians can work together to protect the dunes:
* Develop a joint management plan. This plan should identify the threats to the dunes and outline strategies for protecting them. The plan should also include provisions for public access and recreation.
* Conduct regular monitoring and assessments. This will help to identify any potential problems early on and to take corrective action as needed.
* Restore damaged or degraded dunes. This may involve planting vegetation, installing sand fences, or other measures.
* Educate the public about the importance of dunes and how to protect them. This can be done through public outreach programs, educational materials, and signage.
We must reach out to the Air Force to discuss the possibility of joint stewardship of the dunes. We must contact our elected officials to ask them to support this initiative.
We must do better for our citizens and our protective dune system.