Natural Resources Management

Miami Beachis a barrier island community located in southeast Florida between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean with over seven miles of white, sandy beaches. The City's beaches are a critical economic, recreational, environmental, and protective asset for the City of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, and the State of Florida.  The City of Miami Beach manages the property eastward of the erosion control line (ECL) through an agreement with the State of Florida. As part of this management agreement, the City is required to submit a land management plan every 10 years for the State's approval. The City's land management plan, also known as the City's Beachfront Management Plan, must outline the property's uses, management activities, and planned projects. As such, the Plan details the City's concession operation rules and regulations, special event permit requirements, dune management strategy, and other key beach management activities.

Download the Beachfront Management Plan

Native salt-tolerant vegetation is a key component of a healthy dune system. Native vegetation trap and accumulate wind-blown sand, building up the dune and creating a sand reservoir for the system. Their roots stabilize the accumulated sand and significantly minimize erosion during high tides and storms. Additionally, dune vegetation absorbs wave energy, blocks storm surge, and protects coastal infrastructure from storms.

The long-term success of the beach and upland properties is dependent on the health of the City's dune system. It is as simple as: no dunes, no beach. Native vegetation is critical to dune health and a number of species are protected under state law. FDEP approval is required before any work can be conducted in the dunes.

It is the City's goal to preserve and promote the structural integrity of the dune. The City routinely removes aggressive, non-native vegetation which threatens the stability and biodiversity of the system. The most common invasive species is the Hawaiian half-flower (Scaevola frutescens), which has shallow roots that make the species less effective in dune stabilization. Scaevola should not be trimmed because it becomes a greater maintenance concern by growing back thicker and further spreading its seeds.

Since 2006, volunteers from Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens and the Surfrider Foundation have helped the City restore over 6.6 acres of habitat. Through these efforts, the federally listed endangered species Jacquemontia reclinata has been successfully reintroduced back into the system. If you are interested in participating in an upcoming volunteer dune restoration, please contact the Environmental and Sustainability Department at 305.673.7084 or sustainability@miamibeachfl.gov.

In early 2014, the City retained landscape contractors through the Invitation to Bid (ITB) process to remove non-native vegetation and replant with native species in South Beach (Government Cut to 3 Street and 14 Street to 23 Street), Middle Beach (23 Street to 47 Street), and North Beach (64 Street to 79 Street). This work restored the health and structural integrity of the dune system while incorporating the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) design guidelines into vegetation management.

The restoration work in the Middle Beach area is partially funded through a grant received from the Florida Coastal Management Program (FCMP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)*. As part of this grant-funded project, the city installed educational signage along the boardwalk with information about the City's beach and dune system.

Over 200 miles of beaches in Florida, including Miami Beach, have been restored to date. Past USACE, Miami-Dade County, and City beach renourishment projects have been estimated to generate a $700 return for every $1 invested due to the recreational and ecological value provided by a healthy beach.

The wrack line, or tidal wrack, is the line of dried seaweed and other debris left behind by the most recent high tide. The seaweed in the wrack line acts as a sand stabilizer and is a valuable source of nutrients for coastal flora and fauna, including migratory birds. Because its removal can impact the health of the beach and dune system, blade trucks are used to turn the seaweed back into the sand every morning instead of removing it from the system.

*This project was funded in part, through a grant agreement from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Coastal Management Program, by a grant provided by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. #NA11NOS4190073. The views, statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect the views of the State of Florida, NOAA, or any of their subagencies.

Sea Turtles are protected by the US Endangered Species Act of 1973 and Florida Statute Chapter 370. It is illegal to harm or harass sea turtles, their nests or hatchlings. The City of Miami Beach is a nesting habitat for three species of protected sea turtles; the Loggerhead, Green, and Leatherback. Annually, beginning in April and extending through early November, the native sea turtles come to nest on our beaches. Sea turtles lay around 100 eggs in a nest and lay between 3 and 7 nests during the summer nesting season. It is important not to disturb hatchlings, eggs or nests since hatchlings need to crawl to the sea unimpeded. Touching nesting females, taking flash pictures of nesting females or hatchlings, or digging into nests is prohibited by law. If you observe someone harassing a nesting or hatchling sea turtle, contact FWC Law Enforcement at 888.404.FWCC (3922) or *FWC on cellular phones.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ( FWC) is a Florida government agency founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tallahassee. It manages and regulates the state's fish and wildlife resources, and enforces related laws.

Learn more about sea turtles in Miami Beach: http://www.mbrisingabove.com/seaturtles