Florida Assessment of Coastal Trends

         2010 Florida Assessment of Coastal Trends
               Complete Document
                    Cover
                    Introduction and FCMP Contribution
                    Coastal Society
                    Coastal Habitats
                    Living Resources
                    Environmental Health
                    Coastal Access
                    Coastal Hazards
                    Environmental Awareness and Stewardship
                    Waterfront Revitalization
                    Appendices

The Florida Coastal Management Program (FCMP) has completed the FACT 2010 with the help of its coastal partners. The FCMP is one of many entities, both public and private, involved in planning and implementing activities that affect the long-term health and vitality of Florida's rich coastal resources. An important part of planning for the future of these resources is maintaining a clear perspective on how they are changing. The Florida Assessment of Coastal Trends (FACT) 2010 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. One of the primary goals of the FACT is to provide decision makers across the state with another tool to help them effectively plan for the future of Florida's coastal zone.

Like its three predecessors, FACT 2010 is a collection of indicators in several different focus areas. FACT 2010 addresses eight focus areas and covers the period from 2000 to 2010. An indicator is a measured or observed parameter that provides information about a system.

Indicators can be utilized by coastal managers 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.