It’s time to take a stand in the sand.
Many people worked tirelessly to pass SB 1622, the bill that repealed HB 631.
The original passing of HB 631 negatively tipped the scales and created a battlefield for beachgoers seeking a quiet day at the beach.
Although SB 1622 did give Walton County back some local control, it was well too late, as lawsuits were settled with prejudice between Walton County and beachfront owners. Many of the unintended consequences of HB 631 cannot be undone.
While statewide Florida Tourism has increased approximately 4% over the last five years, tourism in Walton County has fallen over the same period.
Walton County is working on renourishment to help safeguard our heavily eroded beaches. However, this has its own hurdles to overcome and is a very time-consuming process.
SB 1622 was a tipping point to slow down the privatization of our beaches, and some traction has been gained in recent legal proceedings. There are hopes of renourishment to gain public beaches, to protect landward property, and to prevent the loss of life from storm surge.
Still, there is more to do. That’s where your efforts will make a difference.
The “experiment” of Walton County, Florida Beach privatization has been a disaster, and the blight of sealing beaches away from public use has been devastating economically and to our community itself. Unfortunately, the blight of beach privatization is spreading to the Atlantic Ocean on Florida’s east coast as well as west to the Gulf.
Efforts are underway to seek a Florida Constitutional Amendment by working through the Governor and Florida Legislators.
It is believed that a Constitutional amendment should request that all Florida beaches from the water’s edge to the toe of the dunes (waterside) be available for all public use in perpetuity. Existing property lines are maintained, giving the public and property owners alike unrestricted access to the beach.
This would greatly mitigate/eliminate the confusion that will forever exist with determination on a day-to-day basis using the mean high water line in any measurable usage in determining public use and restore Customary Use to EVERY American.
In Walton County, Florida, the blight of beach privatization has a serious, detrimental economic impact. The below is from the Winter 2026 Visitor Tracking Study issued by the Walton County Tourism Department for the period December 2025 – February 2026. Click for the report:
Walton County Industry Research – Walton County Tourism
Beautiful beaches and clear water were rated as Walton County’s highest attribute. However, reviews such as the following are what we are hearing:
“Beautiful beach if you can find an entrance since the beaches are owned by residents & hotels which makes it difficult for…people who do not live oceanfront.”
“Great, but the whole beach situation with chairs and blocking entrances, etc. is a nightmare.”
For Walton County, Florida, the negative economic consequences of the impact of beach privatization are measurable and significant:
From 2022 to 2026, December 2025 through February 2026:
- Visitors in 2022 were 535,900, falling to 461,200 in 2026. This is a decrease of 74,700, a 13.9% decline.
- Room nights in 2022 were 641,460 and fell to 615,200. This is a 26,260 decrease in room nights for a 4.1% dip.
- Direct spending in 2022 was 824.2 million, falling to 573.5 million in 2026. This is a 250.7 million and 30.4% decrease.
- The occupancy rate in 2022 was 41.0% and fell to 32.1% in 2026, a 21.7% fall.
However, for the years 2022 to 2025, Florida State-wide Tourism increased 4.1% while Walton County, Florida statistics for Visitors/tourists, room nights, direct spending, and occupancy rate all fell for the above-referenced period.
The privatization of Walton County, Florida Beaches has reversed its economic growth and has had a negative impact on all substantive financial indicators. In essence, the unintended experiment of beach privatization of 30A Beaches has proven its impact in that it has failed economically.
Stopping the blight of beach privatization is an essential step in protecting Florida’s economy statewide, as the Sunshine State is America’s leading tourist destination.
Advantages of a Florida Constitutional Amendment include:
- Protecting Florida as the nation’s premier travel destination
- Continuing our record-breaking 143.3 million visitors/tourists this past yea
- Ensuring Florida’s tourism industry, which generates over $130 billion in economic impact annually, will continue to grow
- Expanding Florida’s 1.8 million tourism jobs
- Stop beach privatization
- Ensure the legacy of the Free State of Florida’s Sand and Beaches
It’s time for a Florida Constitutional Amendment to Save Florida’s Beaches.
Contact Florida’s Governor, Florida State Senators, and Florida House of Representatives Members seeking their support and invitation of a Florida Constitutional Amendment to Save Florida’s Beaches, making EVERY Grain of Sand Open and Available for ALL American Beachgoers. Click HERE for all email addresses.
Let your voice be heard.
Let’s restore every grain of sand of Florida’s Sand and Beaches to complete Customary Use.