Erosion Control Mistakes on Alligator Point, FL

Here is the facebook link documenting Franklin County's ongoing insanity on Alligator Point, FL http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=90603&id=1353048331

Labels: Franklin County's ongoing erosion control mistakes

Dear Editor,

Franklin County is at it again, placing more armor and rocks on Alligator Point. When will they stop repeating the same cycle of mistakes? When will they begin to understand beach dynamics? When will they stop endangering the public and private safety of Alligator Point? When will they undo years worth of inept and dangerous coastal management practices? When will it be understood that rocks and armored structures are unnatural on Florida's beaches and lead to induced-erosion through scouring, breaching, and flanking actions that destroy our precious coast and prevent natural healing processes? When will authorities and courts begin legal actions to stop Franklin County's reckless actions and violations? How soon will it be before our community is further blighted by graffiti on these structures? How long will it be before a storm shifts these barricades onto the highway and beyond? When will these barricades be first hit by a motorist? When will someone become seriously injured climbing over the barricades or all the rocks that are on the beach and in the water? When will Franklin County ever learn?

Bill Wargo, Director
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol, Inc.
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295

Gary,

Attached is my petition that you requested. Also, following are a few items that I am sending to you again related to the renourishment issue. As you know, renourishment itself is not the main concern as much as the related issues about riparian rights that are being violated by a practice that establishes arbitrary erosion control lines (ECL's) that amounts to the taking of deeded private properties. Of course there are many other related concerns such as: (1) contrived multiple tiers of high taxation in five 8 year increments totaling 40 years; (2) a plan that calls for placing sand over the very rocks that induced the erosion in the first place; (3) the known short life of renourishment projects; (4) plans to renourish and tax a 1mile gap of non-eroded beach; (5) the known negative effects of dredging and sand placement on wildlife habitat and the ecology in general; (6) the lack of scientific justification and/or participation; and (7) the lack of considering other viable alternatives: (a) removing the rocks and letting natural beach dynamics heal the beach as it always did before rock-induced erosion; (b) re-routing the highway inland and away from the beach front.

FYI: If you click on http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1353048331&ref=name and go to my Facebook site, there is a photo album on "Alligator Point Beach Erosion" showing before and after pictures of rock-induced erosion. I haven't had a chance yet to place the photos in chronological order but the effects can be seen.

Bill
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Alligator Point Beach Renourishment A Mistake
The Times Apalachicola & Carrabelle
February 28, 2008
Alligator Point Beach Renourishment A Mistake

To the Editor

Thanks Bill Haughton! One would have to have more dollars than sense to vote for the proposed Alligator Point beach restoration project. Franklin County has a long history of inept and abusive management resulting in induced-erosion that has destroyed and blighted our community, environment, and safety. Now, the County proposes to assess us for 3 contrived tiers of taxes for 8 years, renewable 5 times, for a total of 40 years of payments, all to repair the damage that they caused. The County also refuses to contribute to any of it or to use taxes that have already been collected over the years. The proposed restoration project predictably will be short-lasting and is rife with serious flaws regarding the biological impacts of dredging and pumping sand, land grabbing erosion control lines, highway safety, citizen affordability, etc.

Many of us will be burdened by a taxation that may force us to default or sell at low prices. Alligator Point is our home. We don't want to leave it but may have to because of uncaring leadership that is attempting to railroad the community into an unaffordable and bad project. Franklin County has never done anything right on Alligator Point and the proposed restoration project is just another wrongful action in their ongoing cycle of mistakes.

Dr. Bill Wargo, Director
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol, Inc.
Alligator Point
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Just Say No to Beach Renourishment
The Times Apalachicola & Carrabelle
February 21, 2008
Just Say No to Beach Renourishment
To the Editor:

Alligator Point property owners are now receiving a "survey" in the mail. It is a ballot that asks them to vote for or against a beach renourishment project for Alligator Point. The Franklin County Commission is proposing to pump 1.7 million cubic yards of sand over a 2.9-mile stretch of beach. Franklin County hired consultants to manage this project. They came up with an estimate that this project would cost about $8.9 million. Maybe the marine dredging contractors who bid on this project were thinking about a different beach because their lowest bid was $11.4 million. With the economy in a downturn, with the housing market on Alligator Point in a slump and with Franklin County already the highest per capita taxed county in Florida, one wonders why the Franklin County Commission seems hell-bent on rushing this costly project through at this time.The great majority of city planners agree that beach renourishment is economically feasible only in highly urbanized areas. When Walton County completed its beach renourishment project in 2007, it did not cost the property owners of Walton County one penny, since $3 million came from the Tourist Development Council. Franklin County raised less than $500,000 last year from the TDC. Certainly, Alligator Point falls far short of being classified as a highly urbanized area. There are only about 750 property owners who will have to shoulder the cost of beach restoration. The Franklin County Commission appears to be oblivious to this fact. The state of Florida is defraying a portion of the cost but the balance is being paid with assessments levied against Alligator Point Property owners. The calculation of assessments was based on the estimated $8.9 million cost. That estimate is $2.5 million less than the lowest bid. Where is that $2.5 million coming from? Adding to this financial shortfall, about $1.6 million of the state's contribution is not guaranteed. Franklin County has a letter committing the state but the state will not sign a contract guaranteeing that this money will be there when it is needed. If Charlie Crist and his budget-crunching legislature decide not to release that money, Franklin County will have no recourse. Where will that money come from? A property owner should be concerned!Franklin County officials have chosen to do this project during the height of the hurricane and the turtle nesting season, which might not be so bad if it weren't for a killer clause in the dredging contract that has not been given much publicity. The dredging contract will impose a $3,500 per hour charge for standby time. What does this mean? Simply this - if the contractor's workers are not allowed to work six hours per day because of a work stoppage, Franklin County will be billed $3,500 per hour until work begins again. If a hurricane occurs, if a nesting turtle stops work, the clock starts regardless. If there is a legal challenge to this project (which is likely), it's $3,500 per hour while the workers sit around doing nothing while the lawyers fight it out.A restored beach tends to erode faster than natural beaches. Once a beach is restored with dredged sand, it almost always is necessary to dredge again at five-to-eight year intervals. Hurricane Dennis hit Alligator Point on July 10, 2005. It not only destroyed Alligator Drive, but it badly eroded our beach in one area. Had our beach been renourished at that time, Dennis in a few hours would have removed a good portion of the sand that cost Alligator Point property owners millions in assessments. . Dr. Joseph Donohue of the FSU Department of Geology, an expert on coastal erosion, summed it up this way, "That's the dirty little secret about renourishment they don't tell you. It won't last very long. They basically last till the first big storm."Incidentally, the Franklin County Commission has chosen to leave Alligator Drive in a state of disrepair since it was destroyed by Dennis in 2005. I would urge property owners on Alligator Point to vote "NO" on this renourishment project. If you find it difficult to sell your house on Alligator Point, how much more difficult will it be with a large assessment added to the price? Vote "NO"!

Bill Haughton
Alligator Point

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Fallacies of Taxation Proposal, Calculations, and Plans for the Proposed Beach Re-nourishment Project for Alligator Point, FL
Bill Wargo, April 3, 2007

1. Invalid community survey

2. Aesthetics benefit added without notice

3. Logic of quantifying aesthetics is flawed

4. Research concerning safety and evacuation benefits flawed

5. Calculation of trip generation is wrong

6. There is no discussion or data about the short re-nourishment project option

7. Proposal calls for taxing in November for a plan not yet complete or approved

8. Owners of multiple properties get only 1 vote but taxed multiple times

9. Taxation without representation by commissioners who dont represent us

10. No accountability for the historical causes of erosion induced by Franklin County

11. Exact locations of County Park, R-212 to R-214 not clearly marked

12. Public access and parking between Pelican St. and Gulf Shore Blvd. not identified

13. Taxation calculations and burdens grossly unfair to several residents

14. Taxation is property-based, not people-based, not based on true benefits received

15. Scientific research shows that beach re-nourishment is not long-lasting, often for only a year.

16. The plan calls for leaving rocks in place and placing sand over them. The cause of the erosion in the first place was induced by those rocks.

17. Offshore dredging and pumping of sand would destroy countless sea-life nurseries and feeding areas as well as ruining beach habitat, vegetation, and sea turtle nesting grounds.

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Tallahassee Democrat article published Apr 29, 2007
Learn from our coastal mistakes
By Jack Rudloe MY VIEW

I have always maintained that the primary purpose of Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory is to corrupt young minds. We do it by stimulating children's natural curiosity about life, by giving them a chance to use all their senses, by touching, feeling, seeing, hearing and sometimes even tasting the vast array of living creatures that live in the waters of Apalachee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
Hence we are opening its' unique "Monsters of the Deep" exhibit that will display a smither of tremendous diversity of eerie life forms that exist off the edge of the continental shelf in 200 fathoms. Kids can view giant sea roaches, stalked barnacles, deep sea squids in jars back lit by spooky lights, and make them revolve by turning hand cranks. They will learn about the fragile life that exists in the Desoto Canyon, a hundred miles off Pensacola.
Some would call this exhibit educational, environmental or scientific. Although each of our instructors and teachers at the Panacea lab have different styles and messages, when I lecture to children I tell them that when they take charge, they will have the unpleasant task of undoing the mess that my generation, their grandparents and parents, have left them.
Someday when they take the reins of leadership, they will hear the worn-out petitions of developers who want to fill wetlands, cut down the trees and destroy the habitat to make a fast buck. And I tell that kids that if they want seafood, recreation and drinking water, they will have to say no.
That's right, no permit, no exceptions, no political back-slapping, arm-twisting and play along to get along - just say no!
It is not our mission to hold the hands of the large corporations while they steal our public access and destroy the precious resources with their belligerent attacks on the landscape. If they want their children to grow up catching frogs in the pond and turning over rocks to catch crawfish, they have to take a stand.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just took a stand against the enormously destructive proposed Magnolia Bay development in Taylor County. The Corps did something unheard of - it said no!
The agency did so because there were 1,100 letters and an impressive battery of environmental groups protesting the dredge and fill permit that would have destroyed large areas of sea-grass beds and wetlands. All the environmental agencies, state, federal and private conservation groups united to oppose this development because it would have set a terrible precedent.
I'm hoping that conservationists will unite to oppose other bad developments, like the ones being planned for Alligator Point, St. Teresa and Ochlockonee Bay. I'm hoping that environmental agencies will say no to the handful of property owners that are storming ahead to pump sand on the beaches of Alligator Point. They are expecting the public, and other Alligator Point residents who don't live on the beaches, to pay for their dredging.
It's a bad project and a bad idea. It will damage one of the best sand-dollar beaches in the world and could destroy a good shrimping bottom. If they succeeding in sucking up sand from south shoals, they will destroy habitat for white and pink shrimp, not to mention blue crabs and a great number of other marine life forms that gather there.
It doesn't matter to them that sea turtles will be ground into turtle burger by the dredges. It's been shown over and over again that nesting turtles rarely nest in dredged up sand with its rearranged grain structure. And in the end, after doing great damage, it will wash away in a few years.
My fondest hope is that one day there will be a new generation of leaders who appreciate the rich wonders of the sea. I'm hoping that, through environmental education, the children will be able to sift through the wreckage their parents left behind. No doubt they will have to deal with water shortages, pollution, rampaging diseases and wars over resources, but the human spirit is strong and we will likely survive.
My hope is that when wasteful projects like the Alligator Point Beach Renourishment Plan or damaging proposals from companies like St. Joe come before them to build condos and subdivisions in fragile coastal wetlands they will say no - just like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did to the Magnolia Bay proposal.


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----- Original Message -----

From: Gary Appelson
To: wargobill@earthlink.net
Sent: 8/27/2009 2:55:05 PM
Subject: RE: US Supreme Court Beach Renourishment Case

Bill, the links are not hot- can you send me your case or something that explains it. A lot of folks were very surprised the SC was willing to hear the SBR case.
Thanks
g

Gary Appelson
Caribbean Conservation Corporation
and Sea Turtle Survival League
4424 NW 13th St., Suite B-11
Gainesville, Fl. 32609
352-373-6441

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From: William Wargo [mailto:wargobill@earthlink.net] Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 1:30 PMTo: Selected RecipientsSubject: FYI: US Supreme Court Beach Renourishment Case

The case Walton County v. Stop Beach Renourishment, Inc., has been accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court and will be heard in December, 2010. My related case, Wargo v. DEP and Franklin County Alligator Point Beach Restoration, which also deals with ECI's and Riparian Rights will be in abeyance until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules. My attorney will be the one arguing the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Facebook Bill Wargo

Background of the Problem

Alligator Point for years has exemplified what is wrong with placing rocks on our precious beaches. It is disturbing that Franklin County, again, proposes to extend the Alligator Point revetment that has never ceased destroying our beautiful community since the day it was first erected. Yes, it is predictable that more erosion will ensue if the wall is extended. It will lead to more erosion that will further endanger the road by re-establishing a new waterline dangerously at its base. Time is long overdue to tear down the walls, not to extend them. Rocks are an unnatural element on our beaches that induce unnatural erosion which endangers public safety and ruins the environment. Countless sea turtle nesting grounds have been lost because of the unnatural erosion induced by the rocks. Where is the public outrage against all of this? Where is the oversight that prevents untrained and unqualified county administrators from managing something as fragile and precious as our beaches?

Franklin County Coastal Management Problems

Lack of accountability
Little knowledge of beach dynamics
Lack of understanding of barrier island dynamics
Politics
Media and political sensationalism
Agency cross-purposes (USACE, Franklin County, DEP, etc.)
Public blind acceptance
Reliance on charts, tank tests, etc.
Spotty and unrepresentative field study
Repetition of mistakes
Inconsistent or no enforcement of environmental regulations
Denial of induced causes of erosion from scouring, flanking, and breaching
Multi-fold impacts: environmental, public safety, political, social, community, private
Lack of understanding of laws of science and nature (i.e. action/reaction, rejection)
Lack of application or integration of expert engineering and environmental advise (i.e. 1985 consulting engineers)
Wasted expenditures
Lack of research


Alligator Point Beach Erosion History and Selected Talking Points

HISTORY (presented by Bill Wargo at the October 14, 2000, APTA meeting):

In June, 1972, Hurricane Agnes sheared off Alligator Point’s beaches depositing 15 acres of the sand at the west end.

Since 1972, nature has been trying to cut a natural inlet at Southwest Cape (the vicinity of KOA).

A rush to stop the natural cutting of the inlet led to the dumping of broken asphalt and debris seaward of the road to form a 650 foot wall. Broken concrete from various sources was added from time to time in subsequent years from various sources.

Wall-induced sand scouring re-established the waterline at the base of the wall.
Over the years heavy storms have breached the wall and have eroded around both the east and west ends damaging the road.
June 22, 1984, the Franklin County Board of County Commissioners requested the Army Corps of Engineers to look at the problem and to determine if emergency funds were available to assist the situation pursuant to Section 14 of the Flood Control Act of 1946, as amended. (Willis Collins, Jr., Chairman)

Local interests (marina, campground, and residents) requested remedial action to protect Highway 370 from erosion damage at Southwest Cape.

March, 1985, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wrote a feasibility report recommending the rehabilitation of the existing 650 foot wall and the construction of an additional 350 feet of stone revetment stating that the beach habitat along the wall would be lost. (Colonel Patrick J. Kelly, District Engineer)

Despite the predicted loss of beach habitat, a waiver of an environmental impact study was supported by the following groups: Franklin County, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, and Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission.
Cost of the revetment was estimated to be $348,000 with $98,000 being the non-federal share. Franklin County endorsed the plan and agreed to pay the non-federal share. (April 23, 1985, Jimmy G. Mosconis)
A condition of the plan was that local interests would hold and save the United States free of damages due to the construction of the revetment when not the fault or negligence of the United States or its contractors.
July 24, 1985, at an Alligator Point beach erosion workshop coastal engineers warned that extending the wall would also extend the area of beach erosion with continued breaching and new destruction in areas of the beach at the wall’s end.
In 1994, a 1000 foot granite rock revetment was constructed extending 350 feet farther to the east than the original wall, inducing the eroded loss of the beach in the extended area and establishing a new waterline at the base, dangerously next to the highway.
NOTE: During the construction of the revetment in the 350 foot extended area, there was 50 feet of beach on which heavy equipment was able to operate to construct the wall. Since the completion of the wall that beach area has been totally eroded away from the effects of revetment-induced sand scouring.
In October, 1995, Hurricane Opal was the first storm to breach the new revetment causing the typical damage behind the wall as well as damaging the beach, homes, and the road in the extended areas where erosion never occurred before.
In September, 1998, Hurricane Earl, classified as a minor storm, was even more damaging because the waterline being tangent to the road led to severe breaching and wall-induced sand scouring at the east end.
Starting in September, 2000, Franklin County began dumping additional rubble rock at the east end of the wall, again inducing extended erosion in a new area of beach.
Today, wall-induced beach erosion now occurs farther to the east, new areas of beach habitat are lost, and a longer stretch of road is damaged from breaching during heavy storms.
SELECTED TALKING POINTS
Beach Environment Violations:
Nesting areas of endangered turtles lost.
Nesting areas of non-endangered species lost.
Beach sand eroded away.
Beach plant life destroyed.
Unnatural and unsafe rocks in the water.
Water quality threatened from damaged septic tanks and other contaminants.
Prevention of natural beach healing processes from a manmade revetment .
Responsible Authorities:
State government agencies.
Franklin County Board of County Commissioners.
Stakeholders:
Alligator Point property owners and community
Franklin County.
State of Florida citizens.
American public.
The voiceless beach and coastal wildlife and plant life.
Planning:
Involve stakeholder representatives in the planning process.
Saving the beach should be the top priority in preventing erosion.
Undo and end all actions that are cross-purpose to saving the beach.
Concentrate on long lasting, not remedial, solutions.
Any construction activities must be compatible with beach healing.
Enlist volunteers to help re-vegetate the beach and to restore beach habitats.
Enforcement of Environmental Protection Laws and Beach Clean-Up :
Environmental protection laws must be rigorously enforced.
Franklin County is the single greatest violator of the beach environment.
Armoring the beach with rocks and walls needs to be stopped.
Damaging and injurious rubble rock needs to be removed from the beach
Heavy equipment will be needed to remove the rocks.
Accountability:
Clearly, the United States is responsible for revetment-induced beach erosion and road damage, based on the conditions of the 1985 feasibility study. Time is overdue for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors to be accountable for the damages due to the construction of the revetment.
Leadership:
Courageous political leadership is needed.
Citizen participation and leadership must be part of the process.
Environmental groups need to be vocal about manmade causes of erosion.
Scientific experts need to be involved.
Governmental agencies must support responsible actions and undo negligent ones
Media and Public Conceptions/Misconceptions:
Area-wide reporting about beach erosion occurs only during storm events.
The public is led to believe by Franklin County that severe erosion is a natural phenomenon, not man- induced.
Franklin County’s answer to the problem has always been to dump rubble rock on the beach.
Some people even believe that armoring the beach is the solution to erosion.
Media, TV and newspapers, often portray the dumping of rocks as a valiant, almost heroic, action.
Daily local reporting of the beach erosion problem is conspicuously silent.
Responsible investigative reporting is desperately needed.
Franklin County Coastal Management Problems:
Minimum accountability
Little knowledge of beach dynamics
Lack of understanding of barrier island dynamics
Politics
Media and political sensationalism
Agency cross-purposes (USACE, Franklin County, DEP, etc.)
Public blind acceptance
Reliance on charts, tank tests, etc.
Spotty and unrepresentative field study
Repetition of mistakes
Inconsistent or no enforcement of environmental regulations
Denial of induced causes of erosion from scouring, flanking, and breaching
Multi-fold impacts: environmental, public safety, political, social, community, private
Lack of understanding of laws of science and nature (i.e. action/reaction, rejection)
Lack of application or integration of expert engineering and environmental advise (i.e. 1985 consulting engineers)
Wasted expenditures
Lack of research
July 5, 2005 Message and DEP Letter
Hi AP Turtle Patrollers,
As you know, I've been fighting the unnatural rock-induced erosion on Alligator Point for several years and have recently inundated you with copies of e-mails that I have sent and received on the issue. Several of you, as well as others, have also sent e-mails and contacted authorities, and have published articles about the issue. Thank you for your concern and involvement in the efforts to end the repetition of mistakes that has been destroying our community, turtle nesting grounds, private and public properties, scenic beauty, and endangering our safety. I'd like to share with you the message below that was received today from DEP responding to the rock issue. It speaks for itself and offers some hope that the damage to our community can be undone and corrected
Mr. Wargo and Ms. Cummins:
On July 1, 2005, the Department of Environmental Protection issued a Notice of Violation/Cease and Desist (NOV/C&D) Order to Franklin County. The purpose of this Order was to halt the further placement of unsuitable construction debris-type materials seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line along the Alligator Point shoreline. Further, the Department has required the County to immediately post appropriate signage warning the public to stay off of the buried debris. Finally, as a component of their response to the NOV/C&D Order, the County must present a plan for remediation and removal of the unauthorized construction debris to the Department for review and approval.
Michael R. Barnett, P.E., Chief Bureau of Beaches & Coastal Systems Florida Department of Environmental Protection 3900 Commonwealth Blvd, Mail Station 300 Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 PH: 850.488.7708 FAX: 850.487.7751 email: Michael.Barnett@dep.state.fl.us
Two other things. First, legal contact has been made, not by me, to explore the potential for a lawsuit against Franklin County and perhaps others over the repeated violations that have occurred recently and historically. For now, I haven't been directly involved but have been requested to supply much of the documentation that I have accumulated over the years. For years, Franklin County has blatantly and defiantly violated so many laws on Alligator Point, it is time for them to pay for their actions. It's possible that there has also been complicity on the part of some of our residents. The community as a whole will need to join in on any legal actions. Clearly there's a case and, like in other communities, we can win it.
Secondly, I am in the process of setting up a Blog Site (web log) entitled "Erosion Control Mistakes on Alligator Point, FL." The Blog address is <>. My display name for the site is "Panacea Bill." I'm currently inputting information into the site and am still learning how to upload photographs, etc. before it will be published and posted on the Internet blogoshpere. I'm hoping to have it ready by the end of the week.
Bill
June 11, 2005, Letter to DEP, Secretary Colleen Castille
To: Colleen Castille, Secretary
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
From: Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
Subject: Accountability: Alligator Point Rock-Induced Erosion

Attached are 4 photographs taken today of the unnatural erosion being induced by the rocks that were dumped on Alligator Point last summer after Hurricane Ivan. This is just a sample of how quickly erosion has been induced each time Franklin County has dumped rocks on our beaches over the years. Last summer Franklin County bulldozed away protective vegetation on my beach and my neighbor's beaches to dump these rocks. Furthermore, there were two turtle nests on these grounds that were destroyed because of the activity of placing rocks on the beach and the ensuing rock-induced erosion. This is the first summer in over 30 years that my family and neighbors have not been able to use our beaches because of the rock-induced scouring and flanking that has destroyed our properties in less than a year's time. This will also be the first year that turtles won't have any nesting grounds in that area because of unnatural erosion induced by the rocks.

Over the years I have objected several times to Franklin County's reckless and irresponsible dumping of rocks on our beaches. Each time it was predictable that our beaches would be destroyed and public safety endangered from the erosion induced by these rocks. Each time I have stated that I hold Franklin County responsible for the induced damage to our private properties, the endangerment of our public safety, and the destruction of our turtle nesting grounds. When will DEP put a stop to these senseless actions that are repeated year after year by Franklin County? Where is the accountability? When will the stakeholders and property owners be considered and consulted? What are the performance-based standards and laws requiring the removal of these rocks that are harming our properties and endangering the community. What scientific justification is there for such projects? As a taxpaying property owner and also as the coordinator of the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol, I would like answers to these questions.

Thank you.

Respectfully,
Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
1295 Angus Morriosn Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295
wargobill@earthlink.net

May 3, 2005 Letter from DEP, Michael Barnett:
To view this letter, click on the pdf attachment "DEP letter to W. Wargo."
April 22, 2005, Letter to DEP, Secretary Colleen Castille
To: Secretary Colleen Castille

From: Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295

Subject: Proposed extension of rock revetment on Alligator Point

Date: April 22, 2005

On Alligator Point we are privileged to share our beaches with sea turtles. Turtles are an important indicator of how our beaches are managed for both their use and ours. Sadly, the short-sighted approaches to coastal management on Alligator Point over the years has been the single greatest cause of our declining turtle population. In fact, Alligator Point exemplifies what is wrong with placing rocks on our precious beaches. In panic-driven actions to prevent natural erosion caused by storm events, our beaches have been armored with revetments, bulkheads, seawalls, groins, etc. Armoring totally violates the natural dynamics that heal our beaches after storm events. Most recently, you can see evidence of that from the rocks that were placed on our beach after hurricane Ivan last summer. Prior to that, there is solid evidence of how rock-induced erosion has destroyed countless turtle nesting grounds over the years as well as endangering the road, destroying public and private properties, and ruining the community's scenic beauty. In short, the armoring of Alligator Point has been cross-purpose with saving both our beaches and the road and, most certainly, the turtles. The absence of turtles from these former nesting-grounds is a symbol of something drastically wrong. The rocks themselves are monuments to the careless management of our coast.

The destroyed beaches and turtle-nesting grounds on Alligator Point is the result of unnatural erosion induced by rocks. Prior to putting rocks on our beach, it always healed itself naturally after storms. But the placement of rocks on the beach has spoiled the natural dynamics that re-build sand after storms. The large build-up of sand that used to accumulate naturally 9-10 months of the year is no longer possible because of the scouring, breaching, and flanking induced by the rocks. Now, during the other 2-3 months of the year when the storms arrive, that natural cushion is gone and the waves reach the road's edge rather than breaking 60-70 feet out. Nature is a give and take process. With rocks the process is interrupted and we only get the "take" and not the "give" part.

Alligator Point has the unique opportunity to be a model community for beach management by doing something right for a change. Yet, it is being proposed to place more rocks on our beaches by extending the revetment. This is wrong and if done we will live to regret such irresponsible actions. Time is long overdue to end the cycle of repeating the same mistakes year after year. As coordinator of the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol, I formally object to any further armoring of our beaches. Furthermore, I request that the existing rocks be removed so that our beaches will recover naturally as they always did prior to being armored. Turtles will return once the rocks are gone and so will our natural beauty and public safety.

September 8, 2005, Letter to DEP, Tony McNeal:

To: Mr. Tony McNeal
Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Beaches and Wetlands
From: Bill Wargo
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295
Subject: Request for the removal of broken concrete construction debris and rocks along Alligator
Drive on Alligator Point
Date: September 8, 2004

I officially request the removal of the broken concrete construction debris and rocks that Franklin County has dumped this summer along Alligator Drive on Alligator Point. Those rocks and debris have induced erosion that is destroying private property, the natural beach habitat, and turtle nesting grounds. The scouring away of the natural beach from rock-induced erosion is re-establishing the waterline at the base of the walls and creating a serious public safety menace from breaching and flanking that is damaging the highway. Furthermore, Franklin County has bulldozed away the vegetation that protects the road's edge and replaced it with rocks and debris. Our natural scenic beauty has been destroyed by Franklin County and replaced with unsightly and unsafe rocks and construction debris. The sand that has been scoured away because of rock-induced erosion is now a sandbar several yards out in the Gulf. I know because I swim out there everyday and stand on those sandbars. Removal of the rocks will allow the sand to wash back in and restore the beach. That is the way the beach dynamics worked before the walls were constructed. Armor of any sort on a beach is highly unnatural and is a shameful abuse of our environment.

Attached are some photographs of Franklin County's latest armoring activities. Photo #1 shows the dumping of construction debris on July 18, 2004. Note the vegetation in the background that was later plowed away by Franklin County and then declared by them as a natural occurrence.

Photo #2 is the activity on August 23, 2004, showing the replacement and extension of the rocks.

Photo #3 is also August 23, 2004, that shows rock-induced erosion from the rocks that were dumped on July 18. It's a classic example of the domino effect of rock-induced erosion that has occurred from flanking every time Franklin County has extended the wall over the years.

Photo #4 is from September 7, 2004, showing the dumping of broken concrete construction debris and the removal of protective vegetation. Note how close the activity is to a turtle nest.

Photo #5 is from September 8, 2004, that shows a close-up example of the construction debris that Franklin County is using and then hiding under a sand cover.

Photo #6 is from September 8, 2004, showing a new length of broken concrete construction debris that Franklin County has covered with sand. Note there is a turtle nest 24 ft. from the rocks. There is protective beach vegetation and no state of emergency. Yet, the road foreman stated that Franklin County plans to continue dumping more debris and rocks in that direction. This is typical of the conditions that Franklin County declares as an emergency. They need to be stopped now before the whole place is destroyed. All the rocks on Alligator Point need to be removed to eliminate the scourge that Franklin County has placed on our community.

I personally hold Franklin County responsible for destroying my beach and for all of Alligator Point's environment that has been ruined through rock-induced erosion. DEP is the guardian of our environment and I request that they enforce the removal of all the rocks and construction debris along Alligator Drive.

Respectfully,
Bill Wargo

William Wargo
wargobill@earthlink.net

June 5, 2001 Presentation to the Franklin County Board of County Commissioners
Franklin County Board of County Commissioners Meeting
FEASIBILITY & DESIGN STUDY, ALLIGATOR POINT, FL
Submitted by Bill Wargo for the Official Public Record, June 5, 2001
1295 Angus Morrison Road, Alligator Point, FL 32346, (850) 349-2295, wargobill@earthlink.net
Thank you for this opportunity to speak today. My name is Bill Wargo and I reside at 1295 Angus Morrison Road, Alligator Point. I’ve been a property owner and taxpayer since 1973 and a resident since 1980 when my family and I decided to build and live permanently at Alligator Point. I own 4 pieces of property, 3 on Angus Morrison Road in Alligator Harbor Subdivision and one beachfront lot in the beleaguered area across the highway from the Subdivision on Peninsular Point (Note: Not on Peninsula Point). I’ve been a teacher for 17 years and for the past 21 years I have worked for the State of Florida and am the director of a regional office that administers and grants millions of dollars a year in project monies. Because of some special skills, I’ve taken a few leaves of absence to work over the years as a consultant with the Department of Defense, NASA, and spent 13 months in the early70’s in Southeast Asia with Pacific Architects and Engineers. I am acquainted with what constitutes a good project. In my positions as a teacher and director, I have graded hundreds of technical reports and proposals. If I had to grade this project proposal in its current form, I would give it a C- or D. There are several omissions and some inaccuracies. Fortunately, it is still in draft form and not complete, so I’d give it an incomplete.
I am here to comment about the Beach Management Proposal, the Road Proposal, and to offer an alternate proposal. I am not an engineer. I am just a lay citizen. On the other hand these gentlemen are just engineers and they don’t have the knowledge that I do from living at Alligator Point. I am personally familiar with the erosion problem at Alligator Point, as are many people. But, I doubt that there are as many people who have studied it as closely as I have. The treatment of the erosion problem has been a mistake since day one when in 1972 the first wall was built and then rehabilitated and extended in 1994.
Today, we’ve heard a beach management proposal that would place more rocks on the beach and this time into our waters armoring the place for an even greater distance. Put up a New Jersey sign! Preble-Rish and Coastal Tech have now joined USACE and Franklin County in attempts to turn Alligator Point into another New Jersey where there are border to border walls along the shoreline and very few natural beach areas remaining. It’s a phenomenon called "New Jerseyization" that results from the domino effect of building one wall after another in misguided efforts to guard against the erosion induced from adjacent walls. Is that what we want? I know I don’t want it and have been speaking against it since 1985. At a July 24th workshop that year I was the only person to publicly speak out against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal to build a revetment. There is no official public record of that meeting but Mr. Mosconis was there and Renee Topping quoted me in the newspaper.
I’m here 16 years later to say that I still object to the placing of rocks and walls on our beaches and in our waters. Furthermore, it is time to remove from Southwest Cape and Bald Point all rocks, walls, bulkheads, and groins. It’s time to begin working with nature rather than perpetuating engineering fiascoes that will continue to destroy our once beautiful beaches and now proposes to do the same thing to our pristine uplands and neighborhoods.
It’s even been suggested that the revetment has done its job. How laughable! Breaching of the wall and erosion at the ends of the wall have seriously damaged the protective beach zone as well as private property and the very road itself. Look at the place! You tell me, is that doing the job?

A serious oversight is any discussion about accountability.
It’s time to hold the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers accountable. They stated in their 1985 feasibility study that: ". . . the environmental impact of the recommended plan would involve the loss of 350 feet of beach habitat." They also stated that local interests would: "Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the construction of the project when not the fault or negligence of the United States or its contractors." Well, there’s so much collateral damage from revetment-induced erosion the place looks like a combat zone. Clearly USACE is accountable. They are answerable to us.
Since the completion of the revetment in 1994, the beach area that once provided recreation and a protective buffer is gone due to the construction of the project. Turtle nesting areas are completely destroyed. The road is ruined and unsafe from breaching. Dwellings are sitting dangerously in the water. One has already been removed and two more are about to be condemned. How much more of Alligator Point will be condemned before there is a stop to all this engineering madness?
On September 18, 2000, Franklin County dumped more rocks on the beach next to my property. Since then, I have lost 6 foot depth of sand from rock-induced erosion. The water is now dangerously at the edge of the highway. Those rocks and the revetment are a monument to an engineering disaster. My property is next in line for being lost from rock-induced erosion. I don’t want to lose it or have it condemned. I hold Franklin County accountable.
DEP, you are the guardians of our beaches. Where are you? What is your purpose if not to protect the environment from such wanton rape? Get out of your offices and come take a look at what’s being done before it’s too late for all of us. Start enforcing the removable of all that rubble.
WEAKNESSES OF THE BEACH MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL
A glaring weakness in this feasibility study is the absence of scientific information about the deleterious effects of armoring beaches. So, allow me a minute to explain how armor works on a beach. Alligator Point is a textbook case of nature’s conflict with the makings of man. Rocks are unnatural in a beach environment like Alligator Point and we’ll keep on losing if we continue to use them. It’s a living application of the law of physics we learned in high school that says, "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction." Think of it as a bouncing ball. If you throw a ball at a solid wall it will bounce back somewhere in reaction. If you try to bounce that same ball on a sandy beach the reaction is absorbed and dispersed into the sand. Sand is nature’s natural cushion against it’s own forces. It is what absorbs wave energy and provides the friction to slow down its forces. And, when severe storms do wash away the sand, it comes back naturally if we don’t place armored obstacles in its way to deflect it. The lateral currents along a sandy shore also help stop wave energy. But, when a revetment prevents the recovery of a beach these currents begin running directly along the structure, waves begin directly hitting the wall, and protective sand is scoured away. The waterline is then re-established at the base of the wall. The depth of water then becomes deeper, wave energy against the wall is greater, and breaching of the wall and cutting around its ends begins. The end result is a more damaging and dangerous situation. Property is lost, structures and roads are damaged, beach habitat and vegetation are destroyed, hazards to public safety and recreational use are introduced, and scenic beauty disappears. All this then leads to a troubled community, economic losses, and legal actions. This is what you see at Alligator Point today. It’s time to undo it.
WEAKNESSES OF THE ROAD PROPOSAL
Proposing to armor the beach isn’t enough for these engineers. They’re also presenting another asinine proposal to re-route the highway down Angus Morrison Road. How ridiculous can it get! Now they want to move upland and inland and destroy that environment. These engineers aren’t going to stop until the whole place is wrecked. This proposal is so appalling that it needs to be discarded all together. It is a poor plan and one that will incur huge legal expenses for Franklin County. I don’t say that as a warning but unemotionally and factually as a given. It is totally unacceptable for several other reasons:
A petition signed by dozens of Alligator Point residents protesting the re-routing is not attached to the study or even mentioned in it. No reference is made about how the road would: (1) change the overall pristine nature of Alligator Harbor Subdivision, (2) violate the peaceful and safe residential environment with traffic congestion and careless driving, (3) introduce unhealthy fumes, noise, and litter, (4) lower property values, and (5) be a wasteful expenditure of taxpayers’ money.
It doesn’t project any costs for maintaining the existing highway for the residents who live along it. They will still require access to their homes as well as for utility service, trash collection, etc. In other words nothing is said about the costs of maintaining two highways.
The option of using Tom Roberts Road as an evacuation route through the campground wasn’t even mentioned. Between 1972 and 1994 nine major storms hit Alligator Point (Agnes, Eloise, Becky, Elena, Kate, Alberto, Beryl, and 2 unnamed tropical storms). None of them damaged the highway east of Tom Roberts Road. Historically, Tom Roberts Road always served well as an emergency route before 1994, when wall-induced erosion to the east began destroying the access to it.
One million dollars of land acquisition is projected. That is a gross underestimate. It would also result in the loss of huge tax revenues for Franklin County.
There isn’t enough room to build a highway. There would be an immense cost required to move homes back from the road and to remove some of them altogether.
An unbelievable oversight is any reference about safety and accommodations for special needs populations such as those with disabilities, the elderly, and infants. Compliance assurances for federal handicapped and accessibility laws are missing. What an insulting omission. If any field study had been undertaken, the engineers would have realized very quickly how ridiculous such a proposal is. I personally have an interest in this. I have a 13 year old daughter with a disability, a 91 year old father, 87 year old mother, and six young grandchildren. For years Angus Morrison Road has been our footpath to and from the beach and the woods. There’s very little traffic on it, which is one of the chief reasons we moved there in the first place. Neighbors in the Subdivision respect one another and drive slowly and safely. With a busy paved highway running through the neighborhood, that quality of life would suddenly disappear. We don’t invite that into our neighborhood and will legally fight any movement to impose it on us.
It is interesting that $80,000 is projected to build a pedestrian tunnel under the highway to protect campers in the campground. Yet, not a word is mentioned about protecting the safety of the taxpaying Franklin County residents in Alligator Harbor Subdivision.
The cost of building a bridge across the canal is also grossly underestimated. It would disturb a sensitive environmental area and also block a canal that is used to get to and from our boat docks.
The high costs of disturbing and re-doing the infrastructure in Alligator Harbor Subdivision isn’t even mentioned or budgeted.
The engineers are misleading when they say that this is the cheapest option. If all of the costs associated with re-routing the highway down Angus Morrison Road were totaled, it would be the most expensive of all the plans.
MY PROPOSAL
My plan is one that I believe will provide a solution for this multifaceted problem. It will solve the issues of saving the beach environment, having a safe evacuation route, saving tax revenues, and restoring pride in Alligator Point. It is a blend of engineering recommendations from the current feasibility study as well as options from the 1985 beach erosion workshop, the sand web system, and from my own research. It’s a plan that will work for the environment and people as well as the economy. It is as follows:

Remove the revetment and all other rocks, walls, and bulkheads. This is not an impossible task. In 1994, the original 650 foot wall was easily removed in preparation for building the new revetment. In fact, it was moved twice, first to the access road and then again from the access road. This will remove an unsightly scourge from our community and will allow for the restoration of a natural beach. Let nature re-direct its wave energy to cutting a natural inlet. This will allow natural erosion to concentrate where nature wants it to happen.
Build a high bridge over the inlet. This will allow for natural shifting of the beach environment and for traffic to pass safely above it. At the 1985 beach erosion workshop this was considered to be the best engineering option. After I stated my objection to building a revetment, one of the engineers said that nature is trying to cut a natural inlet and the best thing to do is to remove all the rocks, let the cutting happen, and bridge it.
Elevate the road to the highest feasible height. Elevating the road along with protecting it with high sand dunes and a flat beach will allow for the safe passage of traffic.
Build protective dunes higher than the road using beach quality sand. Truck and/or barge in beach quality sand from the sources identified in the feasibility study. This would take us back to the 1985 conditions when the dunes were so high you couldn’t see the water from the highway.
Use the sand web system to build the flat beach. Use the $1 million saved from land acquisitions to pay for this system. There are several advantages to this system: (1) It is performance-based. If it doesn’t work, you don’t pay for it. (2) It is accountable for environmental and public safety through daily monitoring. (3) Unlike armor, it works with natural environmental processes, not against them. (4) It is unobtrusive and non-permanent. It’s removable. (5) Unlike rock structures, it doesn’t strew dangerous debris into the water. (6) It is a living process, not static and intrusive. (7) It will restore wide beach to one mile of shoreline thus extending scenic beauty and protection along Alligator Point. Will this system work for sure? It has a lot of logic to it and has already worked in other coastal areas. I can’t say with 100% certainty that it will work. I can say with 100% certainty, however, that armoring our beaches hasn’t worked.
Vegetate the dunes and beach with sea oats and other compatible plants. Use community volunteers to help with this process.
Install sand fencing in areas where it will enhance the build-up of sand. Get DEP advice regarding the best way of placing sand fencing.
Plant palm trees along the road’s edge for added strength and scenic beauty.
Develop a written agreement with the KOA owners to allow a back-up evacuation route through their property from Tom Roberts Road during times of emergency. This will probably not be needed once all of the above is accomplished. However, an agreement is still advisable just in case it does become necessary.
CLOSING COMMENTS & LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE
Something needs to be done that will solve all of our problems. To do that, each of us has to separate ourselves emotionally from any one problem and look at a solution that will solve everything. It’s a holistic problem that requires a holistic solution. My proposal, I believe, will do that. It’s one that incorporates the best options from the current study as well as from other engineering options that have been discussed and implemented elsewhere. It will require that: (1) engineers put their egos aside and collaborate with one another, (2) Franklin County Commissioners provide responsible leadership on this issue, (3) DEP exercise it’s responsibility by enforcing and permitting actions to re-store and preserve the environment, and (4) the community of Alligator Point assist in the efforts. To the media, I say investigate the whole problem. Don’t just report on the sensational events of storms, erosion, and evacuation routes. An accurate and complete reporting of this story can render an important public service.
This is an opportunity to do something right. What was done in 1972 was honest and well-intentioned, but it was wrong. In 1994, the mistake was repeated and expanded. In 2001, there’s an opportunity to undo the mistakes of the past and to do something right.
Thank you.
Bill Wargo
References:
Feasibility Report, Protection of HWY 370, Alligator Point, Florida, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, March, 1985
Beach Restoration Management Plan, Florida Department of Natural Resources, February, 1990
Pilkey, Orrin H. and Katharine L. Dixon. The Corps and the Shore, Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1996
Dean, Cornelia A. Against the Tide: The Battle for America’s Beaches, New York: Columbia University Press, 1999
Hurricane Evacuation Route and Beach Management Plan, Alligator Point/Bald Point Feasibility and Design Study, Coastal Tech and Preble-Rish, Inc., Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Contract Number 00FRI, Draft, May, 2001
The Sand Web System: An Overview of Projects, Parker Beach Restoration, Inc., 2001

June 30, 2005, Letter to FL Dept. of Environmental Protection

To: Secretary Colleen Castille, Michael R. Barnett, Tony McNeal, Phil Flood
Subject: Wargo Beach Before Rock-Induced Erosion
From: Dr. Bill Wargo
Date: June 30, 2005

For your information, I have attached a few photographs of what Wargo Beach looked like before Franklin County started dumping rocks in the area inducing unnatural erosion. The destruction of my beach and neighboring beaches is directly due to the induced-erosion from the rocks. This beach will recover naturally if the rocks are removed. The sandbars that are out a couple hundred yards in the Gulf is the sand from my beach area that would wash back onto the beach if it didn't keep getting scoured away by the rocks.

The unnatural disappearance of our precious beach and our dream is a tragic loss to my family. It's also tragic that Franklin County has blighted and endangered the Alligator Point community through their actions. As the legal guardian of our environment and beaches, DEP must undo and stop what Franklin has done and continues to do to our precious private properties and community.

Dr. Bill Wargo
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295

June 11, 2005 Letter to DEP Secretary Colleen Castille

To: Colleen Castille, Secretary
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
From: Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
Subject: Accountability: Alligator Point Rock-Induced Erosion

Attached are 4 photographs taken today of the unnatural erosion being induced by the rocks that were dumped on Alligator Point last summer after Hurricane Ivan. This is just a sample of how quickly erosion has been induced each time Franklin County has dumped rocks on our beaches over the years. Last summer Franklin County bulldozed away protective vegetation on my beach and my neighbor's beaches to dump these rocks. Furthermore, there were two turtle nests on these grounds that were destroyed because of the activity of placing rocks on the beach and the ensuing rock-induced erosion. This is the first summer in over 30 years that my family and neighbors have not been able to use our beaches because of the rock-induced scouring and flanking that has destroyed our properties in less than a year's time. This will also be the first year that turtles won't have any nesting grounds in that area because of unnatural erosion induced by the rocks.

Over the years I have objected several times to Franklin County's reckless and irresponsible dumping of rocks on our beaches. Each time it was predictable that our beaches would be destroyed and public safety endangered from the erosion induced by these rocks. Each time I have stated that I hold Franklin County responsible for the induced damage to our private properties, the endangerment of our public safety, and the destruction of our turtle nesting grounds. When will DEP put a stop to these senseless actions that are repeated year after year by Franklin County? Where is the accountability? When will the stakeholders and property owners be considered and consulted? What are the performance-based standards and laws requiring the removal of these rocks that are harming our properties and endangering the community. What scientific justification is there for such projects? As a taxpaying property owner and also as the coordinator of the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol, I would like answers to these questions.

Thank you.

Respectfully,
Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol

Comment

Many attempts have been made over the years to stop the train that has been destroying the Alligator Point community. One serious mistake in all those attempts was to trust and work with Alan Pierce. It took awhile before it was realized that he was not concerned about stopping that train. In fact, as the county administrator he has been the chief force in keeping that train moving. I believe in being cordial and Alan and I always have been and continue to be so. It doesn't change the fact that he hasn't been a good planner and has been more concerned about his personal political well-being. Alligator Point has never been significant to his political survival and it has never been treated by him with any solid commitment for doing something truly right here. You can call that unfair if you want but show me one thing good that he has done for this community.

It may too late to stop that train for me. But, it's never too late for the community. How many more properties have to be damaged and destroyed by that train before this community finally wakes up? It's not too late to stop and undo what we know is bad and start doing something right. It is a mistake to forge ahead with projects that will not first eliminate the cancer that will continue to kill us under any circumstances. Looking to the future and at what can be done today must include correcting past mistakes that will keep on harming us. The APTA erosion committee is in a unique position to look at and recommend the best actions for this community. Otherwise, what is the purpose of their existence. I agree that it is important for the Alligator Point Taxpayers' Association (APTA) to work with Pierce and all parties. But, APTA will be remiss if they don't put what's best for this community above just being cordial to planners who aren't serving us well. That would be pandering!

I care very much about the Alligator Point community as a whole. I don't expect anyone else to have the same passion for this issue as myself. I don't know what others see when they look at the erosion situation. But, for me it is totally unnatural and wrong and I cannot and will not be silent about it. You can blame it on us old timers for letting it all happen. But, it wasn't from a lack of trying to work with our leaders and planners to do something else. This included working with the same planners and politicians who are in power today. Good luck to anyone who expects that they will give an honest priority to doing something right for us. I once had that same trust but their actions and false promises over the years have taught me to be very skeptical. Let the train keep rolling if that's desire of some residents. I not only believe that it can be stopped but that it must be stopped or, for sure, it will become too late.

Bill Wargo

Chief Seattle's Thoughts

"In 1851 Seattle, chief of the Suquamish and other Indian tribes around Washington's Puget Sound, delivered what is considered to be one of the most beautiful and profound environmental statements ever made. The city of Seattle is named for the chief, whose speech was in response to a proposed treaty under which the Indians were persuaded to sell two million acres of land for $150,000." -- Buckminster Fuller in Critical Path.

Chief Seattle's Thoughts:

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us.
If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man --- all belong to the same family.

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves. He will be our father and we will be his children.

So, we will consider your offer to buy our land. But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us. This shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you the land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother
.
We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father's grave behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the earth from his children, and he does not care. His father's grave, and his children's birthright are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.
I do not know. Our ways are different than your ways. The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring or the rustle of the insect's wings. The clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around the pond at night? I am a red man and do not understand. The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond and the smell of the wind itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with pinon pine.

The air is precious to the red man for all things share the same breath, the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days he is numb to the stench. But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.
The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.

So we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make one condition - the white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.
I am a savage and do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be made more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that we have taught our children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know; the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.
Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see. One thing we know which the white man may one day discover; our God is the same God.

You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. The earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.

But in your perishing you will shine brightly fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man.
That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.

Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone.

The end of living and the beginning of survival.

Brevard County, FL, Beach Erosion Lawsuit

$3.1 Million Goes to 317 Property Owners in Landmark Settlement of Beach Erosion Lawsuit.

As a result of the efforts of Jack Kirschenbaum and Mason Williams, more than 300 Brevard County beachfront property owners, including the cities of Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral and Satellite Beach, received a total of $3.1 million dollars from a landmark settlement reached in 1999 with the federal government.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed construction of Port Canaveral Harbor and its jetties in 1954. The settlement distribution concludes nearly twelve years of litigation over erosion caused by Port Canaveral and its jetties, which blocked the flow of sand from north of Cape Canaveral to the beaches south of the Port. Property owners sued in 1992 over erosion that had eaten away as much as 400 feet of coastline in some areas. The erosion decreased property values and damaged homes and other structures along the beach.

As part of the settlement, the Corps agreed to construct the $42 million Brevard County Shore Protection Project to restore 12.7 miles of shoreline from the south jetty at Port Canaveral to Melbourne. The Project was completed in 2003.

A 2001 economic impact study indicated that without the Shore Protection Project, nearly 30 percent of Brevard County's tourist industry would have disappeared over the next 50 years and taken with it 8,000 of 10,000 beachside jobs and more than $557 million in property values.

http://www.erosion.com/homeowners.asp

June 6, 2005, Response to NOAA's Sea Turtle Status Review Survey

Dear NOAA,

I'm contacting you to share the concerns I have had over the past few years about the dumping of rocks on Alligator Point's beaches that have been inducing unnatural erosion destroying important turtle nesting beaches. Following is the content of an article by me that recently appeared in 3 local newspapers and newsletters. Following that article is a copy of a letter that I sent to Colleen Castille, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. These are two samples of the concerns that I have had for several years about rock-induced erosion on Alligator Point. A few photographs have also been attached. Somehow all of this has to be stopped and undone to end the continued destruction of our nesting grounds and to allow the recovery of the destroyed ones.

Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
@earthlink.net

On Alligator Point we are privileged to share our beaches with sea turtles. Turtles are an important indicator of how our beaches are managed for both their use and ours. Sadly, the short-sighted approaches to coastal management on Alligator Point over the years has been the single greatest cause of our declining turtle population. In fact, Alligator Point exemplifies what is wrong with placing rocks on our precious beaches. In panic-driven actions to prevent natural erosion caused by storm events, our beaches have been armored with revetments, bulkheads, seawalls, groins, etc. Armoring totally violates the natural dynamics that heal our beaches after storm events. Most recently, you can see evidence of that from the rocks that were placed on our beach after hurricane Ivan last summer. Prior to that, there is solid evidence of how rock-induced erosion has destroyed countless turtle nesting grounds over the years as well as endangering the road, destroying public and private properties, and ruining the community's scenic beauty. In short, the armoring of Alligator Point has been cross-purpose with saving both our beaches and the road and, most certainly, the turtles. The absence of turtles from these former nesting-grounds is a symbol of something drastically wrong. The rocks themselves are monuments to the careless management of our coast.

The destroyed beaches and turtle-nesting grounds on Alligator Point is the result of unnatural erosion induced by rocks. Prior to putting rocks on our beach, it always healed itself naturally after storms. But the placement of rocks on the beach has spoiled the natural dynamics that re-build sand after storms. The large build-up of sand that used to accumulate naturally 9-10 months of the year is no longer possible because of the scouring, breaching, and flanking induced by the rocks. Now, during the other 2-3 months of the year when the storms arrive, that natural cushion is gone and the waves reach the road's edge rather than breaking 60-70 feet out. Nature is a give and take process. With rocks the process is interrupted and we only get the "take" and not the "give" part.

Alligator Point has the unique opportunity to be a model community for beach management by doing something right for a change. Yet, it is being proposed to place more rocks on our beaches by extending the revetment. This is wrong and if done we will live to regret such irresponsible actions. Time is long overdue to end the cycle of repeating the same mistakes year after year. As coordinator of the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol, I formally object to any further armoring of our beaches. Furthermore, I request that the existing rocks be removed so that our beaches will recover naturally as they always did prior to being armored. Turtles will return once the rocks are gone and so will our natural beauty and public safety.


To: Colleen Castille, Secretary
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
From: Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
Subject: Accountability: Alligator Point Rock-Induced Erosion

Date: June 11, 2005

Attached are 4 photographs taken today of the unnatural erosion being induced by the rocks that were dumped on Alligator Point last summer after Hurricane Ivan. This is just a sample of how quickly erosion has been induced each time Franklin County has dumped rocks on our beaches over the years. Last summer Franklin County bulldozed away protective vegetation on my beach and my neighbor's beaches to dump these rocks. Furthermore, there were two turtle nests on these grounds that were destroyed because of the activity of placing rocks on the beach and the ensuing rock-induced erosion. This is the first summer in over 30 years that my family and neighbors have not been able to use our beaches because of the rock-induced scouring and flanking that has destroyed our properties in less than a year's time. This will also be the first year that turtles won't have any nesting grounds in that area because of unnatural erosion induced by the rocks.

Over the years I have objected several times to Franklin County's reckless and irresponsible dumping of rocks on our beaches. Each time it was predictable that our beaches would be destroyed and public safety endangered from the erosion induced by these rocks. Each time I have stated that I hold Franklin County responsible for the induced damage to our private properties, the endangerment of our public safety, and the destruction of our turtle nesting grounds. When will DEP put a stop to these senseless actions that are repeated year after year by Franklin County? Where is the accountability? When will the stakeholders and property owners be considered and consulted? What are the performance-based standards and laws requiring the removal of these rocks that are harming our properties and endangering the community. What scientific justification is there for such projects? As a taxpaying property owner and also as the coordinator of the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol, I would like answers to these questions.

Thank you.

Respectfully,
Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol

May 3, 2005, Letter From Michael R. Barnett, Bureau Chief, DEP Beaches & Shores

Attached is the May 3 letter I received written by Michael R. Barnett at the request of Colleen Castille. The statement made about removing the rubble rocks will probably never happen, as it never has from past promises. They're still committed to extending the revetment which would also extend the erosion. Once rocks are put on the beach and do their damage, they are never removed. The claim is that once the damage is done the rocks need to remain in order to continue protecting the road. The cycle of armoring the beaches and the promise to remove the rocks is something that has been repeated year after year. Also, there is so much turnover in DEP that no one is ever in a position long enough to follow through with their promises. New people usually don't know anything about former promises and feel no obligation to them. The only long time DEP person is the local field specialist Bill Fokes and he can never be reached and never replies to any concerns. I don't see how the guy has managed to keep his job for all these years. When I was the director of a statewide office that granted millions of dollars a year, I would have been fired if I didn't respond to any inquiry or concern within 10 days. Also we always attached accountability and performance-based standards to all of the projects. If the objectives weren't met or if damage or anything wrong happened, corrections needed to be made and money returned. The old credo of "Do No Harm." I don't understand how DEP gets away with wasting millions of dollars on permitted projects that are worthless and even dangerous to the very environment they are charged to protect.




Bill Warg0

July 2, 2005, Letter to DEP Secretary Collen Castille

To: Secretary Castille
Subject: Request to halt the armoring of Alligator Point's Beaches
From: Dr. Bill Wargo, Coordinator, Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
Date: July 2, 2005

Again, I request that DEP end permission for any further armoring of Alligator Point's beaches. Turtle nesting grounds, public and private properties, the road, and our scenic natural beauty have already been destroyed from unnatural rock-induced erosion. It's clearly wrong and lacks any scientific or engineering justification. I have read and studied engineering and scientific opinions about erosion and I can't find anything that solidly supports the cycle of mistakes that have been repeated year after year on Alligator Point. For years I have photographed the armoring of Alligator Point and it has been documented that armoring has always created more problems, danger, and grief. The 4 photographs that I have attached and briefly describe illustrate today's documentation.


Photo # 1: This picture shows today's turtle crawl (July 2) at the Bates' house. It's the second crawl at the Bates' house in the past 3 weeks. The first crawl was directly under the house between the pilings. This is still a viable turtle nesting ground. Yet, Franklin County plans to issue a permit to allow the dumping of rocks on this spot.

Photo # 2: In the immediate foreground is today's turtle crawl at the Bate's house. The first home in the foreground is the Bates' house. The home in the background is the Sumners' house. The vacant beach between the Bates and the Sumners is Atkinson's property. Franklin County is issuing permission to these properties to buy their own rocks to put on their beaches as protection against the anticipated unnatural rock-induced erosion that will ensue from the extended revetment that is planned to be constructed across Wargo Beach in the far background. Note, that the unnatural induced erosion that you see on Wargo Beach has only occurred since Franklin County dumped rocks there less than a year ago after Hurricane Ivan. This is exactly the same kind of rock-induced erosion that is expected to erode away at Sumners, Atkinson, and Bates from the extended revetment. It's also what will continue to destroy more turtle nesting grounds and private properties. Obviously, this is very wrong. Furthermore, why would anyone agree to the extension of a revetment that knowingly will destroy their properties and then willingly use their own money to pay for more rocks in an attempt to protect themselves from damage induced by Franklin County? None of it makes sense.

Photo # 3: Meet the Avery's. They're renting the Bates' house for 2 weeks and are the ones who reported today's turtle crawl.

Photo # 4 In the foreground are 2 young girls who are visiting their aunt on Alligator Point for the holiday weekend. This is the type of treachery we face everyday negotiating those dangerous rocks that have been dumped on our beach. It's absolutely amazing there haven't been any serious injuries. But, one day it will happen and someone is going to be sued big time. The aunt that these girls are visiting lives across from the existing revetment and they told me that she hasn't been able to get on the beach and walk for a long time because of the rocks, and she is absolutely furious about what Franklin County and the Corps of Engineers have done to our neighborhood and community. I can tell you that she is not alone in that feeling. There's a ground swell of anger in this community that is slowly beginning to rise over the rock situation. Recently, I have heard from several of them. In the far background on the horizon in this photograph is Lighthouse Point. Beyond that is the Gulf Shore Blvd. beach area. Ever since the original granite revetment was completed in 1994, these beaches have been eroding away from the currents that are flowing closer to their beaches. It's my belief from reading engineering and scientific research that these currents are the same ones coming from the 1994 revetment where the water is now established at its base from induced-scouring and flowing much closer to the shoreline all the way to Gulf Shore Blvd. Now hear this! I'm told that Franklin County has also issued permission for people on Gulf Shore Blvd. to put rocks on their beach. I once said at a Franklin County Board of Commissioners' meeting that we might as well take down the "Alligator Point" sign and replace it with one that says "New Jersey." Engineers refer to the domino-effect of building rock walls to protect against rock-induced erosion as "New Jerseyization." That's what has happened to the New Jersey coastline and the exact same mistakes are being replicated on Alligator Point.

Proposed Legislation to Place Checks and Balances on the Army Corps of Engineers

May 6, 2005
Reform the Corps
Bold legislative initiative would place checks and balances on the Army Corps of Engineers.
Good news for Florida’s beaches, the Everglades and nearly every wild animal, hunter and angler in the U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John McCain (R-AZ) have introduced the Army Corps of Engineers Modernization and Improvement Act of 2005. The bipartisan legislation would reform the Army Corps of Engineers by mandating independent review of Corps projects, ensuring environmental protection during construction projects, and address the Corps' multi-billion dollar project backlog.
The bill would also reduce wasteful spending on Corps projects. The legislation is supported by the National Taxpayers Union, Taxpayers for Common Sense, the National Wildlife Federation, American Rivers, and Earthjustice. "We can no longer afford to overlook the economic and environmental costs of unwarranted Army Corps projects," McCain said. "The common sense reforms needed to protect taxpayers and our vital natural resources provide the basis of this bipartisan legislation. It is time to put these practical reforms in place to ensure that limited taxpayer funds contribute to the most beneficial and sound projects nationwide." The bill also strengthens the environmental protection requirements so that the Corps would have to fully mitigate the impacts on fish and wildlife resulting from a water resources project. And, the bill makes sure that projects that have not received construction funding for four years will be de-authorized unless they receive construction funding within 30 months of being placed on a fiscal transparency report list. The bill adds further taxpayer protection by ensuring that taxpayers receive 1.5 times the benefits as the project costs.

September 8, 2004, Letter to Tony McNeal, DEP Permitting Office

To: Mr. Tony McNeal
Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Beaches and Wetlands
From: Bill Wargo
Alligator Point, FL 32346
Subject: Request for the removal of broken concrete construction debris and rocks along Alligator Drive on Alligator Point
Date: September 8, 2004

I officially request the removal of the broken concrete construction debris and rocks that Franklin County has dumped this summer along Alligator Drive on Alligator Point. Those rocks and debris have induced erosion that is destroying private property, the natural beach habitat, and turtle nesting grounds. The scouring away of the natural beach from rock-induced erosion is re-establishing the waterline at the base of the walls and creating a serious public safety menace from breaching and flanking that is damaging the highway. Furthermore, Franklin County has bulldozed away the vegetation that protects the road's edge and replaced it with rocks and debris. Our natural scenic beauty has been destroyed by Franklin County and replaced with unsightly and unsafe rocks and construction debris. The sand that has been scoured away because of rock-induced erosion is now a sandbar several yards out in the Gulf. I know because I swim out there everyday and stand on those sandbars. Removal of the rocks will allow the sand to wash back in and restore the beach. That is the way the beach dynamics worked before the walls were constructed. Armor of any sort on a beach is highly unnatural and is a shameful abuse of our environment.

Attached are some photographs of Franklin County's latest armoring activities. Photo #1 shows the dumping of construction debris on July 18, 2004. Note the vegetation in the background that was later plowed away by Franklin County and then declared by them as a natural occurrence.

Photo #2 is the activity on August 23, 2004, showing the replacement and extension of the rocks.

Photo #3 is also August 23, 2004, that shows rock-induced erosion from the rocks that were dumped on July 18. It's a classic example of the domino effect of rock-induced erosion that has occurred from flanking every time Franklin County has extended the wall over the years.

Photo #4 is from September 7, 2004, showing the dumping of broken concrete construction debris and the removal of protective vegetation. Note how close the activity is to a turtle nest.

Photo #5 is from September 8, 2004, that shows a close-up example of the construction debris that Franklin County is using and then hiding under a sand cover.

Photo #6 is from September 8, 2004, showing a new length of broken concrete construction debris that Franklin County has covered with sand. Note there is a turtle nest 24 ft. from the rocks. There is protective beach vegetation and no state of emergency. Yet, the road foreman stated that Franklin County plans to continue dumping more debris and rocks in that direction. This is typical of the conditions that Franklin County declares as an emergency. They need to be stopped now before the whole place is destroyed. All the rocks on Alligator Point need to be removed to eliminate the scourge that Franklin County has placed on our community.

I personally hold Franklin County responsible for destroying my beach and for all of Alligator Point's environment that has been ruined through rock-induced erosion. DEP is the guardian of our environment and I request that they enforce the removal of all the rocks and construction debris along Alligator Drive.

Respectfully,
Bill Wargo

June 5, 2001 Presentation to Franklin County County Commission Board

Franklin County Board of County Commissioners Meeting
FEASIBILITY & DESIGN STUDY, ALLIGATOR POINT, FL
Submitted by Bill Wargo for the Official Public Record, June 5, 2001
1295 Angus Morrison Road, Alligator Point, FL 32346, (850) 349-2295

Thank you for this opportunity to speak today. My name is Bill Wargo and I reside at 1295 Angus Morrison Road, Alligator Point. I’ve been a property owner and taxpayer since 1973 and a resident since 1980 when my family and I decided to build and live permanently at Alligator Point. I own 4 pieces of property, 3 on Angus Morrison Road in Alligator Harbor Subdivision and one beachfront lot area across the highway from the Subdivision on Peninsular Point (Note: Not on Peninsula Point). I’ve been a teacher for 17 years and for the past 21 years I have worked for the State of Florida and am the director of a regional office that administers and grants millions of dollars a year in project monies. I am acquainted with what constitutes a good project. In my positions as a teacher and director, I have graded hundreds of technical reports and proposals. If I had to grade this project proposal in its current form, I would give it a C- or D. There are several omissions and some inaccuracies. Fortunately, it is still in draft form and not complete, so I’ll give it an incomplete.

Today, we’ve heard a beach management proposal that would place more rocks on the beach and this time into our waters armoring the place for an even greater distance. Put up a New Jersey sign! Preble-Rish and Coastal Tech have now joined USACE and Franklin County in attempts to turn Alligator Point into another New Jersey where there are border to border walls along the shoreline and very few natural beach areas remaining. It’s a phenomenon called "New Jerseyization" that results from the domino effect of building one wall after another in misguided efforts to guard against the erosion induced from adjacent walls. Is that what we want? I know I don’t want it and have been speaking against it since 1985. At a July 24th workshop that year I was the only person to publicly speak out against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal to build a revetment. There is no official public record of that meeting but Mr. Mosconis was there and Renee Topping quoted me in the newspaper.

I’m here 16 years later to say that I still object to the placing of rocks and walls on our beaches and in our waters. Furthermore, it is time to remove all rocks, walls, bulkheads, and groins. It’s time to begin working with nature rather than perpetuating engineering fiascoes that will continue to destroy our once beautiful beaches.

It’s been suggested that the revetment has done its job. How laughable! Breaching of the wall and erosion at the ends of the wall have seriously damaged the protective beach zone as well as private property and the very road itself. Look at the place! You tell me, is that doing the job?

A serious oversight is any discussion about accountability. It’s time to hold the Army Corps of Engineers accountable. They stated in their 1985 feasibility study that: ". . . the environmental impact of the recommended plan would involve the loss of 350 feet of beach habitat." They also stated that local interests would: "Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the construction of the project when not the fault or negligence of the United States or its contractors." Well, there’s so much collateral damage from revetment-induced erosion the place looks like a combat zone. Clearly USACE is accountable. They are answerable to us.

Since the completion of the revetment in 1994, the beach area that once provided recreation and a protective buffer is gone due to the construction of the project. Turtle nesting areas are completely destroyed. The road is ruined and unsafe from breaching. Dwellings are sitting dangerously in the water. One has already been removed and two more are about to be condemned. How much more of Alligator Point will be condemned before there is a stop to all this engineering madness?

WEAKNESSES OF THE BEACH MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

A glaring weakness in this feasibility study is the absence of scientific information about the deleterious effects of armoring beaches. So, allow me a minute to explain how armor works on a beach. Alligator Point is a textbook case of nature’s conflict with the makings of man. Rocks are unnatural in a beach environment like Alligator Point and we’ll keep on losing if we continue to use them. It’s a living application of the law of physics we learned in high school that says, "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction." Think of it as a bouncing ball. If you throw a ball at a solid wall it will bounce back somewhere in reaction. If you try to bounce that same ball on a sandy beach the reaction is absorbed and dispersed into the sand. Sand is nature’s natural cushion against it’s own forces. It is what absorbs wave energy and provides the friction to slow down its forces. And, when severe storms do wash away the sand, it comes back naturally if we don’t place armored obstacles in its way to deflect it. The lateral currents along a sandy shore also help stop wave energy. But, when a revetment prevents the recovery of a beach these currents begin running directly along the structure, waves begin directly hitting the wall, and protective sand is scoured away. The waterline is then re-established at the base of the wall. The depth of water then becomes deeper, wave energy against the wall is greater, and breaching of the wall and cutting around its ends begins. The end result is a more damaging and dangerous situation. Property is lost, structures and roads are damaged, beach habitat and vegetation are destroyed, hazards to public safety and recreational use are introduced, and scenic beauty disappears. All this then leads to a troubled community, economic losses, and legal actions. This is what you see at Alligator Point today. It’s time to undo it.

MY PROPOSAL

My plan is one that I believe will provide a solution for this multifaceted problem. It will solve the issues of saving the beach environment, having a safe evacuation route, saving tax revenues, and restoring pride in Alligator Point. It is a blend of engineering recommendations from the current feasibility study as well as options from the 1985 beach erosion workshop, the sand web system, and from my own research. It’s a plan that will work for the environment and people as well as the economy. It is as follows:

Remove the revetment and all other rocks, walls, and bulkheads. This is not an impossible task. In 1994, the original 650 foot wall was easily removed in preparation for building the new revetment. In fact, it was moved twice, first to the access road and then again from the access road. This will remove an unsightly scourge from our community and will allow for the restoration of a natural beach. Let nature re-direct its wave energy to cutting a natural inlet. This will allow natural erosion to concentrate where nature wants it to happen.
Build a high bridge over the inlet. This will allow for natural shifting of the beach environment and for traffic to pass safely above it. At the 1985 beach erosion workshop this was considered to be the best engineering option. After I stated my objection to building a revetment, one of the engineers said that nature is trying to cut a natural inlet and the best thing to do is to remove all the rocks, let the cutting happen, and bridge it.

Elevate the road to the highest feasible height. Elevating the road along with protecting it with high sand dunes and a flat beach will allow for the safe passage of traffic.

Build protective dunes higher than the road using beach quality sand. Truck and/or barge in beach quality sand from the sources identified in the feasibility study. This would take us back to the 1985 conditions when the dunes were so high you couldn’t see the water from the highway.

Use the sand web system to build the flat beach. Use the $1 million saved from land acquisitions to pay for this system. There are several advantages to this system: (1) It is performance-based. If it doesn’t work, you don’t pay for it. (2) It is accountable for environmental and public safety through daily monitoring. (3) Unlike armor, it works with natural environmental processes, not against them. (4) It is unobtrusive and non-permanent. It’s removable. (5) Unlike rock structures, it doesn’t strew dangerous debris into the water. (6) It is a living process, not static and intrusive. (7) It will restore wide beach to one mile of shoreline thus extending scenic beauty and protection along Alligator Point. Will this system work for sure? It has a lot of logic to it and has already worked in other coastal areas. I can’t say with 100% certainty that it will work. I can say with 100% certainty, however, that armoring our beaches hasn’t worked.

Vegetate the dunes and beach with sea oats and other compatible plants. Use community volunteers to help with this process.

Install sand fencing in areas where it will enhance the build-up of sand. Get DEP advice regarding the best way of placing sand fencing.

Plant palm trees along the road’s edge for added strength and scenic beauty.

Develop a written agreement with the KOA owners to allow a back-up evacuation route through their property from Tom Roberts Road during times of emergency. This will probably not be needed once all of the above is accomplished. However, an agreement is still advisable just in case it does become necessary.

CLOSING COMMENTS & LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

Something needs to be done that will solve all of our problems. To do that, each of us has to separate ourselves emotionally from any one problem and look at a solution that will solve everything. It’s a holistic problem that requires a holistic solution. My proposal, I believe, will do that. It’s one that incorporates the best options from the current study as well as from other engineering options that have been discussed and implemented elsewhere. It will require that: (1) engineers put their egos aside and collaborate with one another, (2) Franklin County Commissioners provide responsible leadership on this issue, (3) DEP exercise it’s responsibility by enforcing and permitting actions to re-store and preserve the environment, and (4) the community of Alligator Point assist in the efforts. To the media, I say investigate the whole problem. Don’t just report on the sensational events of storms, erosion, and evacuation routes. An accurate and complete reporting of this story can render an important public service.
This is an opportunity to do something right. What was done in 1972 was honest and well-intentioned, but it was wrong. In 1994, the mistake was repeated and expanded. In 2001, there’s an opportunity to undo the mistakes of the past and to do something right.

Thank you.
Bill Wargo

ATTACHMENTS

References

Alligator Harbor/Alligator Point Home and Property Owners Association Petition

Alligator Drive Erosion (History)

Feasibility Report, Protection of HWY 370, Alligator Point, Florida, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, March, 1985

Beach Restoration Management Plan, Florida Department of Natural Resources, February, 1990

Pilkey, Orrin H. and Katharine L. Dixon. The Corps and the Shore, Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1996

Dean, Cornelia A. Against the Tide: The Battle for America’s Beaches, New York: Columbia University Press, 1999

Hurricane Evacuation Route and Beach Management Plan, Alligator Point/Bald Point Feasibility and Design Study, Coastal Tech and Preble-Rish, Inc., Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Contract Number 00FRI, Draft, May, 2001

The Sand Web System: An Overview of Projects, Parker Beach Restoration, Inc., 2001

January 31, 2001, Proposal for Evacuation Route and Beach Management

ALLIGATOR POINT
HURRICANE EVACUATION ROUTE
and BEACH MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL
by Bill Wargo
January 31, 2001

This paper is being submitted as a recommendation for a hurricane evacuation route and beach management plan for the Southwest Cape area of Alligator Point. I have observed and studied this situation for several years and believe this proposal will meet the key needs for saving the beach and having a safe evacuation route. This is a less costly plan and one that will have the least amount of negative impacts on the environment and personal properties. This proposal incorporates findings and recommendations from the following three studies:

1. Feasibility Report, Protection of HWY 370, Alligator Point, Florida, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, March, 1985

2. Beach Restoration Management Plan, Florida Department of Natural Resources, February, 1990

3. Hurricane Evacuation Route and Beach Management Plan, Alligator Point/Bald Point Feasibility and Design Study, Coastal Tech and Preble-Rish, Inc., Florida Department of Environmental Protection Contract Number OOFR1, Draft, November, 2000
These reports will be referred to respectively as Studies 1, 2, and 3.

RECENT HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM
Engineering knowledge about the damaging effects of revetments, seawalls, groins, jetties, and bulkheads is well documented (Pilkey1, Dean2). Revetment-induced erosion is apparent all along America’s shorelines. Despite this knowledge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in 1994, removed the 650 foot concrete rubble wall at Southwest Cape and replaced it with a new 1000 foot granite rock revetment 350 feet longer to the east. Beach armoring practices, in general, usually lead to more erosion than they are designed to prevent. This is obvious at Alligator Point. Revetment induced erosion was quick and massive. Within a year of the new revetment’s completion, 50 feet of beach along the 350 foot eastern extension was lost. The waterline was re-established at the base of the wall leading to breaching that now destroys the road along a 350 foot stretch where damage never occurred before. Flanking at the ends of the wall has led to severe erosion and to new losses of private beach areas. Wildlife habitats are totally gone. Access to Tom Roberts Road during severe storms is now blocked by a new area of destruction which, prior to 1994, provided a quick and safe evacuation route.

USACE’S OBLIGATION

In Study 1, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recognized that the beach had already eroded away along the original 650 foot wall. It warned that extending the wall to the east would also cause an environmental impact involving ". . .the loss of 350 feet of beach habitat. Approximately 0.5 acres of beach would be lost due to construction of the new stone revetment. In addition, the sparse, low growing grasses presently existing near Highway 370 would be covered by the revetment. . . ." The same study also stated that local interests would "Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the construction of the project when not the fault or negligence of the United States or its contractors." The second statement obligates the Corps to be accountable for the damage induced by the revetment.

PROPOSED PLAN

I propose a plan that will:
Remove the eastern 350 feet of the revetment, leaving the original 650 feet intact.
Remove all the rubble rock boulders and wood-planked bulkheads east of the 350 foot extension.
Elevate Alligator Drive between George Vause Road and Chip Morrison Road to a height above the highest storm surge wave size for the area. (Study 3 recommendation)
Restore the sand dunes with beach quality sand from South Shoal and/or other sandbars. (Study 2 & 3 recommendation)
Re-vegetate the restored beach with sea oats and other compatible vegetation.
Install sand fencing to enhance the natural build-up of sand.
Develop an evacuation route along Tom Roberts Road, through the KOA Campground, to Harbor Circle.
Develop a written agreement with the KOA Campground assuring that the evacuation route will be opened during times of storm emergencies.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PLAN

Following are advantages of the proposed plan:

This is the least intrusive plan with minimum disturbance to the natural environment and to private property.

The beach always healed itself after storms prior to 1994. The extension of the wall, however, has prevented this from happening in the 350 foot extended area. Removal of the 350 foot revetment extension as well as the rubble rock boulders and wood-planked bulkheads east of the revetment will once again allow natural beach healing processes.

Removal of the eastern 350 feet of the wall combined with the proposed elevation of Alligator Drive and dune restoration will protect access to Tom Roberts Road as an emergency evacuation route.

Using Tom Roberts Road as an emergency evacuation route will be much less costly and intrusive than re-routing permanent traffic along Angus Morrison Road.
Emergencies are not frequent occurrences that require re-routing daily traffic along Angus Morrison Road. During storm events Franklin County will give evacuation orders in plenty of time for residents to leave safely. Tom Roberts Road is the best evacuation route that will be used only during emergencies and will not permanently compromise neighborhood safety, quality of life, and property values.

There will be no need for land acquisition. Alligator Drive will still be the main road for residents to get to their homes in the area of Southwest Cape.

Tax revenues will not be lost due to land acquisitions.

There will not be the high cost of constructing a bridge.

The pristine environment and upland wildlife of Alligator Harbor and the Alligator Harbor Subdivision will be preserved.

Alligator Drive will remain as the only main highway requiring policing and maintenance.

Expensive lawsuits will be avoided regarding property loss from wall-induced erosion and from challenges about the re-routing of the road through Alligator Harbor Subdivision.

The overall scenic beauty and beach habitat of Southwest Cape will be restored.
Pride in Alligator Point will be restored.

Alligator Point and Franklin County will become a model beach management community.

From: ann.maruszak@dot.state.fl.us
To: gallery515@mindspring.com, aprosser@envisioncu.com,
morton.jo@paideiaschool.org, bunkyatkinson@juno.com,
joanmelnick@yahoo.com, Lousandflea@aol.com, rubygirl7950@mchsi.com,
ifondue@aol.com, FarrarD@talgov.com, JNeiditz@lordbissell.com
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:59:30 -0500
Subject: Beach Renourishment Presentation - January 14 - Meeting Notes
Message-ID: ">ON852570F9.005D56C6-852570F9.005D56CE@dot.state.fl.us>

Beach Renourishment Presentation - Meeting Notes

Mike Dombrowski (MRD-Associates) is Franklin County's consultant for
the beach restoration project. He will write the final study that
will describe the restoration options to be considered. The report
will also include estimated costs for each option. He stated that the
study should be completed in a couple of months. Dick Waters (APTA
Beach Erosion Committee Chair) urged him to complete the study sooner
since he should know by now what our desires are.

Alan Pierce stated that it is unusual for a rural beach such as ours
to get a beach restoration project, that these projects are more
normally set in urban areas. He also said that as such, Tourist
Development Council dollars normally fund these projects and not the
taxpayers. Franklin County's Tourist Development Council monies are
tiny in comparison to monies raised in urban areas. We could only
expect funding for small amenities for our project.

Mike Dombrowski introduced the company used to find the sand
necessary to rebuild the beach. The company presented a Powerpoint
presentation showing that over 3 million cubic yards of compatible
sand was found about 2.5 miles off shore from the former campground
in the area called South Shoal. The first site about a mile off shore
did not provide a suitable sand source.

The abundance of good sand now offers additional options that were
not present when earlier discussion took place about a beach
renourishment project.

Earlier, the sand was to come from the Apalachicola River, but the
Corps of Engineers backed out of the project because of permitting
issues. The proposal was to bring 400,000 CY of sand to the Point, a
relatively small amount of sand that would require t-groins to be
constructed to hold the sand in place.

Mike stated that the amount of sand found at South Shoal for dredging
allows for the possible construction of a larger beach as an option.

Currently, three beach restoration options will be offered in the
final report.

1. A beach to include t-groins from the area around Chip Morrison to
just passed the campground near Bunky's property.

2. A mid-size beach without t-groins to run past Bunky's property.
The beach would be monitored to determine the effectiveness of the
design to then determine what is to be done next.

3. A large beach without t-groins that would run from the area around
Chip Morrison to Lighthouse Point (near the Welcome garden).

Each of these options also includes the creation of dunes and the
planting of vegetation. While cross sections where not shown at the
meeting, the plan calls for placing enough sand to create a 75 to 100
foot wide beach. A new beach is expected to change as it stabilizes
and the final size is expected to be 50 to 75 feet wide. Mike stated
that the depth would be about 4 to 5 feet above the elevation of the
gulf waters.

Alan Pierce prefers to put county funding into creating a bigger
beach rather than using the money to build a land bridge costing an
estimated 3 million dollars. He wants the size of the beach to be the
means to protect the road.

It is not known how long it will take to begin the project; State and
Federal permits are required, a design must be accepted and funding
decisions must be made. If a taxing district must be created, that is
is process unto itself.

County Commissioner Sanders is pushing for a shorter permit
processing time. Alan Pierce is concerned about when to build the
County's portion of the relocated road; is it wise to rebuild the
road before there is anything in place to protect it from the coming
tropical season? The question is timing.

A man representing fishing guides asked for information about
turbidity resulting from dredging. The guides are concerned about any
disruption during the tarpon migration, May-July. A DEP
representative said that any project would most likely be in the fall/
winter months because care must also be taken for the sea turtles.

When asked about the status of his development project, Steve Fling
stated that the DEP required that he reapply for all the permits that
he had received prior to Hurricane Dennis, thus the delay in
developing his project. He has since accomplished this and is waiting
for one more permit. He can and will begin construction on his
portion of the relocated road when he gets the final permit. Emory
Mayfield (Alligator Point property owner) is Steve's contractor to
build the portion of the road he is responsible for. Steve stated
that Emory can mobilize on short notice.

Phil Flood (DEP) stated that Gulf County also has a beach restoration
project. he alluded that our project may be tied in to the Gulf
County project, but he did not elaborate. He suggested that we view
the "Save the Cape" web site to get information relative to our own
project. Please go to http://www.savethecape.com/ to learn about all the
interactions, gotchas, and details involved with getting a project
off the ground and completed. Take time to open all the icons on the
"Save the Cape" home-page and read information at the various links;
doing so will give you a better picture about the complexities
involved, and what the benefits could be.

The beach restoration project in my mind must achieve these results:

1. Provide to the extent possible a safe route past the campground.
2. Create a route that can be expected to remain in place after most
storms.
3. Protect utilities that run along Alligator Drive.
4. Protect property values
5. Enhance opportunities to enjoy the beach
6. Funding should be prorated based on benefit to property owner. I
believe all AP property owners will receive benefits from a stable
road and a beach, so all should be included in any taxation. Funding
sources should include more sources than AP dollars for the County's
funding portion.

You may have your own list of criteria for a successful project. You
may have other design considerations or options that you would like
investigated. In the end you can anticipate that each and every
property owner will be expected to pay additional tax dollars to
build the beach. I urge you to study, to ask questions, and to
participate in the process.

Phil Flood stated that all the key players are attempting to interact
closely on the project so everyone is kept up-to-date on the process.
From his remarks, this is a key element in expediting results.

I have listed the key players for this project and have provided
their email address if you wish to contact them.


Beach Renourishment Consultant to Franklin County
Mike Dombrowski
MRD-Associates
m.dombrowski@mrd-associates.com

Franklin County Commissioner, Cheryl Sanders
csanders@gtcom.net

Franklin County Planner / Administrator, Alan Pierce
alanpierce@gtcom.net

DEP Project Manager, Phil Flood
phil.flood@dep.state.fl.us

APTA President, Ken Osborne
KROVBO@aol.com

APTA Beach Erosion Chair, Dick Waters
DH2Os@aol.com

Save the Cape
http://www.savethecape.com/

Sincerely,
Ann

Read Coastal High Hazard Study Committee Final Report - February 1, 2006http://www.dca.state.fl.us/fdcp/dcp/chhsc/final2-1-06.pdf
Background
Governor Jeb Bush issued Executive Order 05-178 on September 7, 2005, appointing members to the newly formed Coastal High Hazard Study Committee. The Committee is charged with studying and formulating recommendations for managing growth in Coastal High Hazard Areas, which are defined as the Category 1 hurricane evacuation zones.
“Developing sound growth policies that protect Floridians is our chief priority as we plan for Florida’s future,” said Department of Community Affairs Secretary Thaddeus Cohen. “This Committee will be a critical tool in helping us strike the right balance on issues related to public safety, economic development, land use and conservation along Florida’s 1,350-mile coastline.”
Florida has the greatest probability of any state in nation to experience the landfall of a major – Category 3 or higher – hurricane. As of 2000, nearly 80 percent of Florida’s residents live within the state's 35 coastal counties. Florida’s 825 miles of sandy, white beaches attract more than 35 million tourists each year and pump more than $41 billion annually into the state’s economy. Based on past projections, development will continue to increase dramatically in high risk coastal areas, which could threaten the safety of Floridians and expose the State to substantial costs for rebuilding in the event of future hurricanes.
Appointed by the Governor, the 19-member Coastal High Hazard Study Committee includes Senator Charlie Clary and Representative Holly Benson; the Secretaries of the Departments of Community Affairs, Environmental Protection, Health and Transportation; the Executive Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the Director of the Division of Emergency Management; the Commissioner of the Office of Insurance Regulation, and the Director of the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. In addition, the Committee has members representing the Florida Building Commission; the Florida League of Cities; the Florida Association of Counties; the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association; the insurance industry; an environmental advocacy entity; property owners; and home builders or developers. The Committee will serve as a forum for identifying and recommending land use policies that safeguard the public from natural hazards, protect property rights, preserve coastal ecosystems and enhance economic development and tourism opportunities.
“Under the leadership of Governor Bush, Florida has taken monumental strides to strengthen protection for the state’s sensitive marine environments and coastal ecosystems,” said Department of Environmental Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Ensuring the long-term viability of our coastal communities through thoughtful growth management will help sustain the rich quality of life Floridians continue to enjoy.”
The Committee will meet with experts throughout Florida during the next few months, and deliver a final report of findings and recommendations to Governor Bush by February 1, 2006.
For more information, please contact:
Diane Vacca, Intergovernmental RelationsDepartment of Community Affairs(850) 922-1681, SC 292-1681diane.vacca@dca.state.fl.us
website: http://www.dca.state.fl.us/fdcp/dcp/chhsc/

November 28, 2006
Dear Mr. McNeal,

I am forwarding this message to you regarding my continuing concern about the road repair situation on Alligator Point and the dangerous rocks and rubble that remain on our beach. I am told that FEMA is requiring the re-use of this dangerous rubble which I find impossible to believe. Surely, they must have seen with their own eyes how dangerous and wrong these rocks have been from the induced -erosion that they have caused which has further endangered our beaches and safety. This is a time to change the usual course of action of repeating mistakes and to finally remove the rocks and to something totally different that is rock-free. Nobody is telling me who the FEMA contacts are so I am not able to communicate directly with them to hear their position.

Thank you.

Bill Wargo, Alligator Point Property Owner and MTP #151
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295
wargobill@earthlink.net



----- Original Message -----
From: William Wargo
To: Alan Pierce;Valerie Jones
Cc: Cheryl Sanders
Sent: 11/28/2006 3:52:43 PM
Subject: Alligator Point
Dear Alan and Valerie,
Attached are some photographs that I took today of the Alligator Point road project. In my discussions with the road foreman over the past several days he is not sure yet if a concrete slope will be poured and the rocks removed. Apparently, pouring a concrete footing is in the plan but he is not sure where it will be placed or how deep or what will be done with the existing rocks and rubble that are on the beach. In viewing the situation myself, clearly having a concrete slope and footer without the rocks would be the best and most satisfactory of the options. At least a smooth sloping concrete cap by itself would allow less turbulent wave action than if the waves passed over rocks and rubble strewing them about and causing not only more danger but a more complicated and expensive maintenance problem. Having a smooth concrete cap without rocks would also provide saver access to the beach for both property owners and others. We know that storms will cast rocks everywhere, like missiles, cluttering and endangering valuable property, wildlife habitat, and turtle grounds. I feel that a smooth cap without rocks will at least allow for a better chance to permit natural dynamics to heal the beach. We know from our past history with rocks that they induce erosion and cause a very dangerous situation. Without rocks, we can also plant protective vegetation that will further enhance a natural recovery process.
Although I still believe that a totally natural beach without any armor is the best of all options, I feel that a smooth concrete slope at the edge of the road and without any rocks is acceptable. This will allow for some recovery to take place that perhaps will restore a safer beach and wildlife habitat as well as some of the lost turtle nesting grounds.
As you know, I feel that rocks on our beaches are unnatural and wrong. I still remain highly critical of all the senseless placing of rocks on our beaches that have taken place over the past several years. I have also said that I would be the first one to commend Franklin County and/or others who will undo this shameful situation that has been the bane of our environment and community. Like I have said before, I have always supported having a safe evacuation route. But, using rocks that erode away the protective natural beach is not the answer. I hope this time Franklin County will support another approach, one that is rock free.
Thank you.
Repectfully,
Bill Wargo, Alligator Point Property-Owner and MTP# 151

November 27, 2006
Alan,

Thanks for your reply. I'll see if Valerie contacts me about the meeting. The FWC has turtle-trained specialists and all permit holders, such as myself, have also undergone extensive training and have served 2 year apprenticeships as well as passing the state examination to become licensed. I hope that an FWC turtle specialist will be invited to the meeting and,hopefully, myself too.

Thanks again Alan.

Bill

----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Pierce
To: wargobill@earthlink.net
Sent: 11/27/2006 8:18:21 AM
Subject: Re: Alligator Point


Dear Bill:

I trhink you are right about the lack of community support for a tax. Based on Ken Osborne's comments we are looking at what impact it will have if we include everybody west of the campground as they theoretically will receive a benefit of a having a better protected road.
We are making those calculations this week.
Now I know why beach renourishment is a rich man's game, and only done in areas like Miami Beach and Palm Beach. The community must have tremendous resources at its disposal in order to afford it. I still hold out hope for Option 1, the smaller project, but we will see. If we don't do Option 1, then your concerns about rocks and the beach will only get worse I am afraid. If the beach is not rebuilt the rocks definitely will not disappear, and then as erosion continues either the rocks will be extended. Or,we will begin to condemn lots and move the road north, or I guess try and build a bridge and let the shore migrage naturally, but that is a very expensive proposition.

As far as the project meeting, I will defer to DEP on who they want at the meeting. You have copied Valerie so I will leave it to them.

----- Original Message -----
From: William Wargo
To: Alan Pierce
Cc: Cheryl Sanders ; Valerie Jones ; Tony McNeal ; Robbin N. Trindell
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 10:01 AM
Subject: Alligator Point



Dear Alan,

It was good to see and talk with you at last night's Board of County Commissioners' meeting. Thank you for responding to my questions at the meeting. It presented a whole new slant on the beach renourishment taxation issue that many of us did not know until we heard Camille's report. I suspect there will be very little community support for a special assessment for beach renourishment considering it will only tax the property owners in the affected areas and cost each of them a few thousand dollars a year. None of us, including myself, can afford to pay those kind of taxes. For me and several others who are retired and living on fixed incomes, it would make it impossible to live in the very community which is our retirement dream and investment.

Regarding your planned road project meeting next week with DEP, Preble-Rish, and C.W. Roberts about satisfying the FEMA requirement not to damage any turtle habitat, I feel it is necessary to have an FWC turtle-qualified person present at the meeting. I recommend Robbin Trindell who is in charge of all of the state's turtle programs or her qualified FWC representative. As the holder of Marine Turtle permit #151 for Alligator Point, I would also like to be invited to attend the meeting.

I have always supported having a safe evacuation route for the residents living west of South Cape. But, having rocks on the beach has never provided such protection nor will it in the future if that practice continues. Having a safe rock-free sandy beach for our turtles will also provide the natural buffer to protect the road that is the evacuation route. It will also eliminate the daily induced danger that the rocks present to beach owners and users in the critically eroded area. After Hurricane Dennis, anyone, including FEMA, can see that rocks do not provide protection. In fact, it was predictable that rocks would exacerbate the problem by destroying the beach which protects the road. This phenomenon has been known by coastal experts for years.

I have attached some photographs that I took this morning of the broken construction rubble and rocks that are still on the beach. I am very concerned that you have indicated that this material will still remain on the beach after the road is re-paved and a sloped concrete cap put in place. None of this is natural to the beach environment and is highly dangerous for both turtles and people. It is loaded with re-bar and other dangerous materials and is not permissible by DEP laws or standards.

I am officially submitting these concerns as both an Alligator Point property owner and the Marine Turtle Permit holder for that community.

Thank you.

Respectfully,

Bill Wargo, Alligator Point Resident, and MTP #151
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295
wargobill@earthlink.net

November 16, 2006
Dear Bill:

My solution is not always rocks, as you know I support the beach restoration now, and opposed the Corps of Engineers massive revetment project several years ago.
But we have only one road, and because of the proximity of road and water the county does not have any latitude for the natural fluctuation of the shoreline in that area.
This is not my idea alone. This is the idea of the county's consulting engineers, and county's coastal engineers, and FEMA.
My preference was and is to completely move the road and let the shoreline flucatuate naturally without rocks. But we can not move the section of the road we are currently working on, unless we condemn a whole series of lots, and no one is providing money to do that.
There is no doubt you have very strong opinions about how to save the beach, and you believe that by removing the rocks the beach will re-appear and the road will be protected. Your opinion is not supported by the paid research the county did, and is not supported by the declaration DEP has made that this section of Alligator Point is critically eroding. The rocks are not causing the erosion. They may be causing the erosion to shift to un-rocked areas, but the erosion rate is out there with or with out rocks.
We are going to protect the road with the least impact possible, but we are going to protect the road.
I will provide you and the Board with the packet of information from the FEMA Project Worksheets where it shows a revetment is part of the approved FEMA work.
I am very sorry that you and I are on a collision course because I do believe you sincerely believe you are right. I sincerely believe that I am right. The county is taking the steps necessary to protect the road now, as well as rebuild the beach.
If the public could live with your level of risk on the road we would not be buffering the road with rocks, but the general public wants the road to be in good shape, and to be protected from storm events and that is what we are attempting to accomplish.
It would be nice if the beach were being built first so that this minor level of protection created by the rocks was not necessary, but because of the cost and the controversy associated with who is going to pay for the beach, the beach project is taking longer to get done. So it is unacceptable and a waste of government funds to build a brand new road with a dirt shoulder a few feet from the Gulf of Mexico and not protect it.
It is just unacceptable to me, and to FEMA, and I bet it would be unaccpetable to the majority of the resident on the Point.
My conclusion is that when the beach project is complete all this will be covered up with sand, and you will have the beach back, but until that time you and I are on different sides of the issue.

Alan Pierce
----- Original Message -----
From: William Wargo
To: Cheryl Sanders
Cc: Alan Pierce ; Colleen Castille ; Tony McNeal ; Valerie Jones ; Robbin N. Trindell
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2006 8:46 AM
Subject: November 16, 2006, Alligator Point



Dear Cheryl,

Attached are a few photographs that I took this morning following last night's thunderstorm. Please help put an end to this situation that is destroying and endangering our properties and community. Our daily lives have been endangered by these rocks for years. In the past Alan Pierce has always chosen to put rocks on our beach in his mistaken belief that they will protect the road. All it has ever done is to induce erosion that has increased the damage to the road and ruined the quality and safety of our lives. Now is a time to undo these mistakes and to do something safe for a change by completely removing the rocks. Sand and vegetation have always provided safety and protection that rocks can never do. Yet, Alan has never opted to do any of this. His answer has always been rock, rocks, and more rocks. For the sake of our safety, I am asking you as my Commissioner to intervene and to take control of the situation away from Alan Pierce. Now is the time to act before you become complicit by default in allowing Alan to perpetuate this dangerous and wrong situation that will one day cause a serious injury or accident. Enough is enough and something needs to be done to change the current course of action.

Bill Wargo, MTP#151 and Resident
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295
wargobill@earthlink.net

November 15, 2006
Begin forwarded message:

> From: Alan Pierce
> Date: November 15, 2006 2:58:24 PM EST
> To: Etta Blackmon
> Subject: Re: Alligator Point Road
>
>
> Ms Blackmon:
>
> The project has not beed designed nor have we done construction
> estimates on it yet, but it is our intention to pave the whole road
> from US 98 to Phipps Preserve.
> We will have a better idea after our engineers do a cost
> estimate, and if the price of petroleum will come down. The worst
> case scenario is that we only pave from the Y separating Alligator
> Point Road from Bald Point Road down to the Phipps Preserve.
> We are still working through some FEMA stuff so it will probably
> be after Christmas before we have done our construction estimates.
> I will make it public as soon as it is known.
>
> Alan
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Etta Blackmon"
> To:
> Cc: "Etta Blackmon"
> Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 2:10 PM
> Subject: Alligator Point Road
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear Alan,
>> I have heard so many different stories about our road and have no
>> idea which is correct. Could you please tell me what will be
>> paved? Will it be, as we were told by Cheryl, from Highway 98 all
>> the way to the nature preserve at Phipps Point? Any information
>> would be greatly appreciated. We have damage near us at 1577 AP
>> Dr. and are certainly hoping that it will be fixed.
>> Thank you for your time.
>> Etta Blackmon

November 15, 2006
Dear Alan,

I am surprised that you are willing to accept repeating the same mistakes of the past by endangering the Alligator Point community again with erosion-inducing rocks that knowingly have contributed to damaging the only evacuation route for hundreds of residents. To do this just for the sake of the money is not only wrong it is counterproductive and cross-purpose with protecting the road. You know as well as I that rocks contribute to erosion more than they provide protection. This is known by experts everywhere. The tiny rocks, dirty sand, rebar, rubble and other unnatural substances currently being placed on the beach are not permissible by DEP standards and are blocking and endangering access and use of both private and public properties and will induce dangerous erosion that will destroy the road as well as turtle nesting grounds. Furthermore, much of the rocks and rubble that are now being placed on the beach are in places where these rocks did not exist before. The risks that you are taking that are further endangering our community are unacceptable and will be challenged if continued. I highly suggest that you come over here to see what is taking place and to end and remove these wrongful actions. Our community deserves your immediate attention to this matter before serious damage and potential injuries happen. Also, please tell me where I can see the construction plans, FEMA requirements, and DEP permits that you say are allowing these actions. Thank you.

Bill Wargo, MTP #151 and Resident
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295

----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Pierce
To: wargobill@earthlink.net;valerie.jones@dep.state.fl.us
Sent: 11/15/2006 9:55:24 AM
Subject: Response to your email to Sec. Castille and Chairman Sanders


Dear Bill:

I am aware that you continue to be upset and angry over the reconstruction activities of the Alligator Point Road. The project that is occuring on Alligator Point is a FEMA funded road reconstruction. All the work that is occuring is within the county right-of-way. The contractor is moving the rocks around so that debris, rubble, rebar can be retrieved and removed. There might be a temporary placement of construction material on your property but it is accidental and not permanent. The finished product will be a reconstructed road within the existing right of way.

In order for the road to be eligibe for future FEMA funding, FEMA is requiring the county take steps to protect the road. FEMA is requiring that these protective steps be taken in association with the road reconstruction. FEMA, not the county or DEP, but FEMA is requiring that the existing road be protected with a rock revetment and a concrete cap. FEMA is allowing the county engineers to determine a suitable design for the revetment. That design will not bring more rocks to Alligator Point, but it does require the county bring in fill, put down a filter fabric, and relocate the existing rocks. As much of the debris, rebar, and rubble is being removed as possible. FEMA is requiring that the shoulder of the road be stabilized with a concrete cap. This new cap will be sloped and will tie into the existing rocks. All this will be done within the county right of way. Essentially we are repairing what was there. It is our expectaton that all of the rocks will be covered up by the beach renourishment project. DEP is aware that we intend to leave the rocks there as a final protection for the road, and they are aware we are going to cover them up with sand. The beach renourishment project is being designed that way.

The county had no choice on this. Without performing the work FEMA said was necessary to protect the road, FEMA said the road could become ineligible for future FEMA funds if it got damaged again. The county can not afford to risk losing FEMA funds. FEMA is contributing over $1 Million dollars to rebuild the road. If FEMA funds were not available, the money would becoming out of the taxpayer's pocket.

Everyone hopes that the road will never be damaged again, that the beach renourishment project will provide adequate protection. FEMA does not agree for two reasons. One, the beach renourishment will not be done before the 2007 hurricane season so we have one more hurricane season with an exposed road and FEMA is unwilling to let the road that they paid for be left unprotected for a hurricane season. Two, while we all expect the beach renourishment to move forward, as you know, the local funding has not been identified, and so the project is not guarranteed at this time. When I told FEMA that they were adamant that if the county wanted to keep Alligator Point Road as a FEMA eligible road we had to take steps to protect the road.

I do not like having to continue to disappoint you, but the level of risk you are willing to assume for the road is greater than the risk the county is willing to assume. It is the only road for several hundred houses and I feel compelled to take reasonable precautions to keep the road from being damaged again.

Alan C. Pierce
Director of Administrative Services
850-653-9783 Ext. 161

November 15, 2006
Dear Cheryl,

Thank you for your reply. I hope progress is being made to remove the rocks and rubble from the beach that is not only a danger to my family and neighbors but to the community as a whole. When you recognized several months ago the fallacy of having rocks and rubble on our beaches, my respect and support for you went up tenfold. My vote for you was out of confidence that you will provide the leadership to put an end to armoring our beaches. Alan Pierce has also made statements recognizing the detrimental effects of rocks. This is a time for him to exercise responsible leadership for our community too. Because of those rocks, erosion has been induced that has eroded away our protective beaches and, thus, endangered and washed away the only evacuation route on Alligator Point, as well as active turtle-nesting grounds. Extending the rocks east of Tom Roberts road was a huge mistake as that used to be the evacuation route until Hurricane Earl, in 1998, washed away the entrance to it because of the water that was dangerously at the edge of the road due to the rock-induced erosion that destroyed the beach in that area prior to the storm. To see that exact same mistake being made again is not only poor planning and engineering, it is outright wrong. It would be wrong for FEMA to require that rocks be part of the funding agreement for road repair. Surely, they wouldn't want to be responsible for contributing to a dangerous situation. If they insist on leaving the rocks and rubble on the beach I will hold them as well as DEP and Franklin County responsible for any injuries or damage resulting from those actions. It isn't worth the risk of accepting monies for road repair if the condition is the use of rocks. Furthermore, I can't believe FEMA would require rocks and I would want to see it in writing so that it can be legally challenged.

My family, including my handicapped daughter, will be arriving this weekend for the holidays. Our beach is a very special place to us as I raised all 3 of my children there and now 6 grand children. We have seen that beach heal itself every time after major storms over the years. But, since Franklin County began placing rocks on the beach it has never been able to heal properly because of the constant rock-induced erosion that keeps washing away the sand from scouring, flanking, and breaching. This type of erosion induced by rocks is well known by engineering experts and scientists who know how unnatural and damaging rocks and rubble are on Florida's beaches. I never understood why Franklin County didn't seek second opinions from such experts but. instead, always kept repeating the damaging mistakes of placing rocks on the beach. It has been a short-sighted error that has caused a lot of unnecessary suffering for years on Alligator Point.

As a Franklin County taxpaying resident and voting constituent and MTP #151, I am requesting that the rocks that are blocking and endangering the beach be removed before next week. It took less than a week to place the rocks on the beach. Surely, they can be removed in the same amount of time.

Respectfully,


Bill Wargo, MTP #151 and Resident
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
(850) 349-2295
wargobill@earthlink.net


----- Original Message -----
From: Cheryl Sanders
To: wargobill@earthlink.net
Sent: 11/15/2006 8:27:46 AM
Subject: re:


Mr. Bill
I have asked Alan Pierce to also respond to your e-mail. The reason being is that he has been the point person communicating with FEMA.
I brought up at the last commission meeting that I would like to see those rocks removed. What I am understanding is that FEMA is requiring a certain amount of protection be done to the road or they will not reimburse the County if any damage occurs in the future.
I hope Alan can explain it better as to what is being done and why. I will still do what I can to try to solve the problem.
Thank you for contacting me.
Cheryl

November 14, 2006
Dear Colleen and Cheryl

I am requesting the immediate halt to the road construction activity on Alligator Point. There are many violations occurring and you need to take a look at it and halt it immediately. Rocks, construction rubble, re-bar, pipes, tile, etc. and many other dangerous objects have been pushed onto my beach and onto turtle nesting grounds in blatant violation of the statutes and laws prohibiting this type of activity. Furthermore, these objects are being covered and back-filled with sand in an attempt to cover the danger they present. The rocks are also setting on my property and other private property owners' beaches blocking access to our properties. I cannot believe that you are allowing the repetition of this type of violation and mistake on Alligator Point. It is an extremely dangerous situation and I hold both DEP and Franklin County responsible for any injuries that may occur to my family or friends resulting from the rocks or rubble that have been placed on my beach and that are blocking access to my property. I also hold DEP and Franklin County responsible for the destruction of turtle nesting areas that are being destroyed by all the rocks and rubble that are being placed on the beach.

As documentation and for legal evidence I have attached a few photographs of the situation. I have taken several other photographs that I can supply regarding this illegal activity.

Respectfully,

Bill Wargo, MTP # 151, and Alligator Point property owner

1295 Angus Morrison Road

Alligator Point, FL 32346

(850) 349-2295


October 20, 2006
Dear Ms. Morgan,

I was interested to read your article today (http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/20/State/State_says_newspaper_.shtml) about Julia Hanway's "Wakulla Independent Reporter." For your information and/or use I am forwarding the following letter to you that I wrote on October 1, 2006, to Ms. Hanway. If you don't have a copy of her September issue with the photo-essay that I refer to, I'll be glad to send you a scanned copy of it.

Bill Wargo
Alligator Point, FL

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

----- Original Message -----
From: William Wargo
To: Julia Hanway
Sent: 10/1/2006 10:38:38 PM
Subject: Art Rocks! Photo Essay, September, 2006, Wakulla Independent Reporter


Ms. Julia Hanway, Editor
Wakulla Independent Reporter
P.O. Box 383
Crawfordville, FL 32326

Dear Ms. Hanway,

The Wakulla Independent Reporter's belief "that everyone should have in depth information on local issues" is a noble goal and one that I wholeheartedly support. However, in your September, 2006, issue you totally missed that goal in your photo essay about Alligator Point's "Art Rocks!" It was a Pollyanna attempt to put a happy face on a very shameful situation in our community. Your depiction of the scene was shallow and misrepresented the facts about the graffiti-laden rubble.

Attached are a few pictures of the artless graffiti and rocks that you did not publish. This graffiti is indicative of an attitude that many of our residents have toward the shabby treatment that our community has received over the years from Franklin County and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The painted rubble that you have pictured may have been attempts by outsiders to be creative. But, regardless of what has been drawn on the rocks the truth in your photographs is that the whole shameful mess is one huge monument to short-sighted and inept coastal management. Alligator Point has been a laughing stock for years because of the panic-driven practice of armoring our beaches after storms with rocks, rubble, seawalls, and revetments. Rocks are an unnatural material on Florida's coasts that spoil the natural dynamics that re-build sandy beaches after storms. The large build-up of sand that used to accumulate naturally on Alligator Point 9-10 months of the year is no longer possible because of scouring, breaching, and flanking induced by the rocks. Now, during the 2-3 months of the year when storms arrive, that natural cushion is gone and the waves reach the road's edge rather than breaking 60-70 feet out. Nature is a give and take process. With rocks we only get the "take" and not the "give' part.

The rocks that you have pictured as art objects are not considered a thing of beauty in our community. They have induced erosion that have destroyed countless sea turtle nesting-grounds and wildlife habitat as well as blighting and endangering our community. Revetments, rocks, and seawalls have been the nemesis of Alligator Point for years. It doesn't have to be that way. The havoc from Hurricane Dennis clearly demonstrates how fallible and wrong armor is on our precious beaches. By the same token, Dennis has presented us with a golden opportunity for a chance to do something right and to make Alligator Point a shining model of beach front management rather than perpetuating our image as a laughing stock. I hope and pray that DEP will act responsibly and require that something be done right on Alligator Point. October 31 ends the sea turtle season when once again Franklin County can use heavy equipment to remove the rocks. The question remains: Will DEP enforce the removal of these rocks which were illegally placed, or ignore it as they have always done before?


Dr. Bill Wargo, Marine Turtle Permit (MTP) #151, and Coordinator
Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol
1295 Angus Morrison Road
Alligator Point, FL 32346
349-2295
wargobill@earthlink.net

# posted by Panacea Bill @ 9:29 AM 0 comments