Private Beaches In Florida Spark Battle With Residents And County
As of July 1, homeowners with beachfront property in Florida's Walton County can declare their beach off-limits to the public. That has sparked a battle with local residents and county officials.
Santa Rosa Beach, in Florida's Walton County, is a quiet place with sugar-white sand, a pleasant surf and signs warning visitors to stay out. The largely rural county on Florida's panhandle is at the center of a battle over one of the state's most precious resources: its beaches. Most of the 26 miles of beaches are already privately owned. As of July 1, homeowners with beachfront property in Walton County can declare their beach private and off limits to the public. The new law has sparked a standoff between wealthy homeowners and other local residents.
In Walton County and in Tallahassee, where Governor Rick Scott signed it into law,
