Congressman Mike Haridopolos (front left) speaks with Coastal Resource Manager Quintin Bergman about dune restoration in Indian River County. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

INDIAN RIVER SHORES — U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos put on his shades, took off his shoes and toured the beach Tuesday, learning about Indian River County’s dedication to replenish sand eroded away by Hurricanes Ian, Nicole and Milton. It was one of several visits the congressman has made this year to the 8th Congressional District to connect with local officials and constituents.

Haridopolos, who represents Brevard and Indian River counties along with parts of Orange County, said the county’s dune restoration efforts were a “win-win scenario” and a “great return on investment for the taxpayers.”

“We live on the Space and Treasure coasts. This is the best place to live in the world. We can live anywhere in the world…we choose to live here. One of the reasons is this amazing beach on our east coast,” said the 55-year-old lawmaker and longtime Brevard County resident.

“The sea turtle nesting season can be interrupted by beach renourishment. I wanted to come here firsthand, see what (officials) are doing and see what we can do on the national level to assist. This is a local, state and federal project so that we can keep our beaches as pristine as we possibly can, look out for nature’s gifts such as the turtles on our shore and make sure Florida is the premier destination for vacationers, whether it be in Vero Beach or anywhere across Florida.”

Haridopolos, of Indian Harbour Beach, walked with Quintin Bergman, Coastal Resource Manager for Indian River County, along the sandy shoreline. It was a day with sunny, clear skies, light winds with the distant rush of waves rolling ashore.

Bergman showed Haridopolos the dunes along a portion of Sector 4, which was part of the Hurricane Ian and Nicole Dune Restoration Project that launched in August 2023. Crews placed about 135,000 cubic yards of beach-compatible sand and planted nearly 148,000 native plants on a section of the shoreline that stretches a half-mile south of the Turtle Trail Beach Access to about a half-mile north of Tracking Station Beach Park.

Crews laid down the new sand from Nov. 1 through March 3.

Indian River County commissioners awarded the $6.6 million project to contractor Dickerson Infrastructure, Inc. The project was funded in grants provided by the Florida Department of Enviromental Protection, Florida Department of Emergency Management and state approved appropriation funds.

“We had a handful of grants and legislative approval from the state of Florida. This project did not have any FEMA funding,” Bergman said. “We believe now that we have a project engineered and designed and we can maintain that we’ll possibly qualify for FEMA funding in the future.”

Bergman said county officials also used the local tourist development tax to fund the dune restoration project. The tax does not impact residents.

“(The money) is coming from folks that come and spend multiple nights at our local hotels,” Bergman said.

Bergman also said the beaches serve as an economic engine for tourism and recreation, provides protection for upland infrastructure and delivers critical habitat for marine life.

“Not only do sea turtles nest in this beach, but we also have migratory shorebirds that pass through and rest,” Bergman said. “A lot of species use the aquatic environment right offshore.”

Bergman said dune restoration projects are a lengthy process.

“It’s not very quick by any means. The permitting process can take anywhere between one to two years. That’s to get the design and specifications approved,” Bergman said. “We don’t get sand from anywhere. The sand is selected based on the metrics and specifications. We want to have this as close as we possibly can to native beach sand. We look at the color, grain size and silt content in order to ensure we have good beach quality sand we put out there.”

Haridopolos was expected to travel back to Washington, D.C., sometime over the weekend. The congressman will be hosting another telephone town hall at 6 p.m. on April 28.

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