Federal Consistency
The Florida Coastal Management Program (FCMP) prepares annual updates to the 24 Florida Statutes on which the program is based. The FCMP coordinates consistency review activities with state agency partners, federal agencies, and applicants seeking federal financial assistance and certain federal permits. The FCMP maintains informational materials and procedural guidelines and conducts training workshops for those entities involved in consistency reviews.

Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program
The Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) is a federally funded land acquisition program to assist states in protecting ecologically important coastal areas. The Florida Coastal Management Program developed Florida’s CELCP plan in consultation with state agency partners and NOAA. The CELCP plan will be used to determine which parcels are proposed for acquisition when federal funds are made available.

Final CZMA Section 309 Assessment and Strategies FY 2011–2015
In accordance with Section 309 of the Coastal Zone Management Act, the Florida Coastal Management Program assessed the status of nine coastal resource issues and the changes related to the issues that occurred since the previous Section 309 assessment was prepared in 2006.  The assessment identifies strategies developed through extensive consultation with FCMP partner agencies that will be completed with Section 309 funds during the 2011–2016 period.

Coastal Access Guide
The Florida Coastal Management Program has updated the Coastal Access Guide (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/cmp/beachaccess/default.htm). Originally the document was published in 1985 listing all the public beach access points, now the public coastal access information is available online. Since each public access point has been located and mapped, everyone can find the access point with the parking, picnic area, or other amenity important to what they want to do that day. Also, this guide has a description of each County, providing information on other activities available in the area such as state parks and paddling trails.

Beach Access and Safety Program
The Florida Coastal Management Program produces and distributes uniform beach access signs free of charge to local governments across the state. The FCMP also provides beach warning flags for use at Florida Parks and public beachfronts. Many visitors to the beach are not experienced in swimming in the surf and are vulnerable to rip currents and other hazards. The Florida Coastal Management Program is working with the NOAA National Weather Service to increase the public’s awareness of the dangers of rip currents and how to protect themselves by providing rip current signs and other educational materials to Florida’s coastal communities, schools and businesses.

Past Activities

Florida Assessment of Coastal Trends

2010 Florida Assessment of Coastal Trends (FACT) was complete in late May 2012. This document is an overview of the changes, or trends, that have occurred between 2000 - 2010. Trend indicators were carefully selected to be both comparable to past FACT indicators to illustrate long term trends and to illustrate the trends of today. The 2010 FACT tracks the most recent changes in 65 indicators in order to help illustrate how resources have responded to policies and activities implemented by coastal resource managers (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/cmp/publications/FACT_2010/fact_2010.htm).

These indicators can be utilized by coastal managers, planners, and researchers to illustrate broad trends and program changes that have occurred. Indicators can raise awareness, provide information concerning existing conditions, inform decision makers, and illustrate changes that have occurred to determine the effectiveness of actions. The indicators have been separated into eight focus areas of coastal zone management: Coastal Society, Coastal Habitats, Living resources, Environmental Health, Coastal Access, Coastal Hazards, Environmental Stewardship, and Waterfront Revitalization.

The 2010 FACT also shows the funding provided by the coastal management program between 2000-2010 for coastal habitats, environmental health, coastal access, coastal hazards, community stewardship and coastal hazards. Overall three hundred and two projects were funded using 19.8 million dollars of grant funds.

BlueWays
The Florida BlueWays project presents ecological, human use and management information in a GIS format to provide an integrated, place-based description of competing uses in the coastal ocean and estuarine environment. The project is a useful tool for analyzing use patterns and trends in coastal areas and to support the development of innovative, coordinated measures to protect resources. The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s BlueWays tool was applied to the study "Recreational Boating Characterization for Tampa and Sarasota Bays" in analyzing recreational surface water use.

Waterfronts Florida Program
Many of Florida's traditional waterfronts have seen dramatic economic and social changes in the last two decades. Today many communities are interested in revitalizing their waterfronts - areas that have experienced neglect and deterioration over the years. The Waterfronts Florida Program designates three communities biennially to receive training, innovative technical assistance, and limited financial assistance as they develop and implement revitalization plans. The Department of Economic Opportunity’s Waterfronts Florida Partnership Program assists designated communities in organizing, visualizing, and implementing locally-based plans.

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