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Project Summary

Cape San Blas Dune Restoration and Habitat Preservation

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1. Project Identification

Name Cape San Blas Dune Restoration and Habitat Preservation
Region Gulf of Mexico
State FL
Location Gulf County, Florida
Date of this update  

2. Problem(s) addressed (check one or more)

High rates of coastal erosion, human impacts to wildlife associated with public beach driving and military operations, lack of information regarding the Cape's natural resources

3. Project Description (100 words or less. Please include qualitative information, e.g. acres of habitat restored, miles of steam reopened to migration, and legislative authorization, e.g. WRDA, ISTEA, CWA/NEP, CZMA, etc.)

Cape San Blas is located in the panhandle of Florida, on the Saint Joseph Peninsula in Gulf County. Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) controls approximately 500 acres of the Cape, including over 3 miles of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico. The Air Force's property is primarily used for radar tracking of flying missions over the Gulf of Mexico, for various missile launches, other military activities, and the recreational operation of motor vehicles on the Air Force's beaches by Gulf County.

In a desire to be good stewards of their property and comply with federal environmental statutes, Eglin AFB began investigations into the natural resources of this region. A one year pilot study, conducted by Eglin's Natural Resources Division, helped to identify and define issues of concern, document impacts to critical resources and aid in the development of research objectives. The pilot study documented a number of significant issues on the Cape, i.e., severe erosion (the largest historical rate recorded in Florida); significant numbers and use by shorebird species including several endangered species; significant numbers of Loggerhead turtle (also endangered) nests; and impacts to these and other natural resources associated with recreational use of the Cape by the public.

Armed with the results of the pilot study, a three-year, $260,000 investigation was initiated in 1993. The project is being funded by DOD's Legacy Resources Management Program and is being conducted on the Eglin AFB's portion of the Cape. The purpose of the Ecological Study is to provide an integrated inventory of significant biological, geophysical, cultural, and historical assets at the Cape in order to aid in the development of management strategies to protect and enhance these resources. Several cooperators/partners are playing an active role in this research project: the USFWS Cooperative Research Unit at the University of Florida is the lead researcher and is providing project oversight, specialized personnel (e.g., endangered species specialists, soil scientists) and sophisticated equipment (e.g. GIS); the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is providing aerial photography, coastal erosion data, the necessary permits and dune stabilization methods; the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission is providing funding and logistical support to the researchers; and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory is providing data on the Cape's natural communities and plant species. To date the investigations have substantiated continued severe erosion, in some cases threatening structures and the nests of Loggerhead turtles and Least terns; the presence of several endangered species again the nests of whom are being threatened by natural and man made causes. It is anticipated the investigation will be complete in December 1996.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

If this study was not conducted, the Air Force could have wasted a considerable amount of funding trying to reduce the rate of beach erosion using traditional methods. These methods would have been ineffective due to the high rate of erosion, which was not quantified prior to the study. In addition these erosion control methods would have been detrimental to nesting sea turtles. Prior to the study sea turtles were known to nest at Cape San Blas but numbers were thought to be low. The study documented Cape San Blas as having the highest density of nesting sea turtles in northwest Florida. The study has provide a considerable amount of base line data regarding the Cape's natural resources. This information is useful when evaluating the impacts of military operations on natural resources. For instance prior to Hurricane Opal, the Cape was known to support a significant number of wintering Piping Plovers, a Federally listed threatened species. In addition to these benefits, we now have a better understanding of the impacts associated with public beach driving on the Cape's resources.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

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8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

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9. Project Status

Initiation date Dec 1993
Completion date Dec 1996
Current stage Project is underway and is due to be completed in Dec 1996

10. Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments

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This page was last updated on Saturday, 24-Jun-2000 11:48:47 EDT
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