St. Joseph Peninsular State Park

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Gulf County, Florida needed a firm to permit a new beach access and a new waterline to existing public areas.  The beach access posed a challenge due to the critical habitat of beach mice.

DRMP obtained permits and agency clearances to install a waterline to existing public areas and construct an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant beach access boardwalk.  Through coordination between our team biologists and engineers, the waterline installation was designed to ensure the project met environmental resource permit exemption criteria.  The boardwalk construction required our team to obtain a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) Permit and approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for construction within the critical habitat.  The boardwalk was design in accordance with USFWS standards to minimize impacts to the dune habitat and protected beach mouse.

The community will benefit from the new ADA-compliant boardwalk because it provides those with disabilities access to the beach. Additionally, it provides the public comfort because its design minimizes impacts to environmentally sensitive coastal habitats.