In 2010, Navarre Beach was one of four beaches nationwide selected as a Beach Restored Beach. This year, nominees were placed in one of three categories: urban, community and park/habitat beaches. Beaches competed for top titles by region. Navarre Beach won the entire Best Community Beach category as well as garnering the highest overall vote total.
“To bring in almost 27,000 votes in the Community Beach contest (and almost 24,000 in the Urban contest) shows the strong support from the various communities whose beaches were included in the online balloting and demonstrates the passion people have for their beach,†said Lee Weishar, Best Restored Beach chairman and ASBPA board member.  “In reading the comments voters left, we were struck both by the devotion people have for their favorite beach and for beaches in general and how people could comment knowledgeably on a number of the beaches in the contest, having visited many of them regularly.â€
The restoration project at Navarre Beach was designed to restore a critical protective buffer to the upland along approximately four miles of Gulf shoreline repeatedly damaged by multiple storms. The project was also designed to re-establish important recreational and economic benefits for the area, including 0.7miles of beach and dune at the county’s Navarre Beach Park. The project ultimately expanded the storm-damaged beach and residents saw the Gulf being “pushed” away from their properties, evacuation routes and other public.
Santa Rosa County co-sponsored the project with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems. Leaseholder sand Santa Rosa County raised the local cost-share through the establishment of a Municipal Service Benefit Unit on the barrier island.
Founded in 1926, the ASBPA promotes the integration of science, policies and actions that maintain protect and enhance the coasts of America. For more information on ASBPA, go to asbpa.org.Â