photos - Blue Mountain Beach access - 7/28/05

... Building on sand should not be allowed anywhere, anytime!!!! ...

Are you saying that homes should not be built in Florida?

Brad wanted white sand used. He was ignored.

Yes, Brad suggested that white sand should be used first, and then if we run out, they could consider using other sand.

Wow Richard what a post.

I've written to the state people -- Jeb Bush and all the Department of Environmental Protection officers listed. I attached the pic and even invoked the poor sea turtles.

If this is the way things are run in Walton County, no wonder they looked like yahoos on 20/20.

Kurt, thanks again for this board. Without it, the many faraway homeowners wouldn't be able to find out what is really going on.

Just recd this via e-mail

To All :

I am in total agreement with the position that red/brown sand was not to be allowed under our "emergency measures." The next County Commission meeting is Tuesday August 9th in DeFuniak Springs at 4:00 p.m. If we need to address this matter sooner, please ask Chairman Pridgen to call an "emergency meeting" to address this issue. I will do the same.

I am also in favor of allowing owners who can rebuild, variances to front yard set backs to move homes as far forward as possible.

Commissioner Meadows

Please everyone - email them - I got a reply within hours - maybe we can stop this.

I have just talked to Commissioner Pridgen and he has called an emergency meeting of the Walton County Board of Commissioners at 5 PM on Monday 8/1/05 in the south annex to discuss this issue. You should all be there to express your concerns!

I think it is important to get the commissioners to stop the contractors from bringing in any more of this dark sand and dirt to the beach in Blue Mountain AND it is important they require the removal of the dark sand and dirt from Blue Mountain Beach. We don't want to be known as Brown Mountain Beach.

I have just talked to Commissioner Pridgen and he has called an emergency meeting of the Walton County Board of Commissioners at 5 PM on Monday 8/1/05 in the south annex to discuss this issue. You should all be there to express your concerns!

I think it is important to get the commissioners to stop the contractors from bringing in any more of this dark sand and dirt to the beach in Blue Mountain AND it is important they require the removal of the dark sand and dirt from Blue Mountain Beach. We don't want to be known as Brown Mountain Beach.

Kurt and all,

Kudos for this board. looks like we just saw the power of the internet and getting the word out on this. :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:

i can not be at the meeting on the 1st but hope that many other locals will make it and report back the results.

Awesome.

Two things:
1. This is not about saving homes until the white sand pits are empty. Until then it is about saving a few bucks.
2. If heat and water made brown sand white there would be no dark sand beaches in the world...they would all eventually be white. I am not a scientist but if someone knows this common sense reasoning to be scientifically inaccurate, please fill me in.

There is no reasoning, it is about the all mighty dollar. I just received an email for one of the commisioners about the emergency meeting being held on Monday. Thanks to this board I believe they have heard our voices. I have seen some of the beach front homes and the damage but when you own a beach front home there are pros and cons and two of the biggest con's that kept us from buying was the wear and tear on the home and the chances of hurricans. I would hate to be in a beach front owners shoes because I know that less is not always the best. I believe the guidelines were established for a reason and that reason has made our beaches what they are today and the reason people come to them, why should that be compromised.

Oh my gosh......is it terribly selfish of me to say that sand just looks awful?! I only vacation in sowal , but wow, that is GROSS

Pictures received today via email.

Another picture.

After much work today, County Commissioner Ken Pridgen requested an Emergency BCC meeting to take place at 5:00 p.m. this comming monday, August 1 at the South Walton Annex. The sole topic will be the use of this terrible brown muck that was placed at our beaches. Both Commissioner Pridgen and Meadows were as shocked at the photo's as we the people are.

Your attendance is needed this Monday. If you are concerned about the direction this Board of Commissioners has taken in regard to our beaches than please make your presence felt.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact: ed berry at 267.0558 or ed@shopforthehealthofit.com

Walton County Commissioners, JULY 29, 2005

This is an official MEDIA REQUEST, made by licensed Federal Communications Commission broadcast facility WGTX, in accordance with the FLORIDA SUNSHINE LAW and other state and federal laws governing full disclosure and release of information; Please FORMALLY RESPOND TO WGTX IMMEADIATELY.

A formal accusation has been made publicly to WGTX that County Commissioner Rosier Cuchens allegedly knowingly contracted and has been involved with bringing in the dark sand in question on the Beaches of South Walton;

On site witnesses state that:

Resident?s Complaints about the sand coloration resulted in Walton County Code Enforcement being called out, and Code Enforcement stated that the sand color and quality was not up to code;

A worker associated with the contractor performing the work, with alleged financial connections to Commissioner Rosier Cuchens, then contacted Commissioner Rosier Cuchens;

Commissioner Rosier Cuchens allegedly showed up at the site and instructed the Walton County Code Enforcement Officer to let the work continue after only removing two buckets of the dark sand based on the fact that - ALLEGED ? ?This has already been approved by the Board of County Commissioners, but I can?t find the paperwork / authorization at the moment? ? statement to Code Enforcement Official by Commissioner Rosier Cuchens

WGTX OFFICIALLY REQUESTS the formal dated paperwork, all documentation and all authorizations that the Walton County Commission granted to place the specific dark color sand on the Beach area in and around Blue Mountain Beach, which Commissioner Cuchens allegedly utilized to have Code Enforcement withdraw it?s opposition to placing the dark sand in question on the beach located in or around Blue Mountain Beach, Florida;

WGTX formally requests the dated paperwork and documentation issued, approved or granted by the Walton County Commission or any other governmental or regulatory agency that allowed Commissioner Rosier Cuchens or any of his assigns, affiliated companies, entities, contractors, subcontractors or others, ect to conduct any said work on or relating to the Beaches of Walton County, Florida;

WGTX formally requests release and full disclosure of any and all involvement of Commissioner Rosier Cuchens relating to any aspect of the repair, enhancement, renourishment, replenishment, restoration, ect or any like activity with respect to the Beaches of Walton County, Florida including but not limited to: Any and all of Commissioner Rosier Cuchens? assigns, affiliated companies, related entities, contractors or subcontractors.

Please reply or respond back only to:

John H. Beebe

General Manager

WGTX

850-267-2445

john@wgtx.com

Respectfully Submitted,

John H. Beebe

General Manger

WGTX

I know that the Chandler Brothers at Owl's Head have much whiter sand than this horse sh_t. After seeing this crap, I have decided to cut my trip short, and am heading back to SoWal to attend the meeting on Mon. Oh, how this upsets me greatly. I cannot scream loud enough with my keystrokes. I know that removing sand from the beach is against local ordinances, but if anyone has a wheelbarrow, I am willing to get arrested. (Will someone please feed my dogs, and let them out to poop if I go to jail?) Who has that wheelbarrow? I am serious. I have a shovel and some 5 gallon buckets, and if I had a truck, I would fill the Ro's driveway with this topsoil. I will verify if it is indeed Ro before I take such action. I am pissed!!!

I am curious if Ro, family, or friends sold them the dirt. Anyone know which one?

I am not encouraging destruction of property, but I know what writer, Edward Abbey would have his characters do in this situation.

I mean, red Georgia clay wouldn't look any worse (not meaning to offend any of my fellow Georgians)? Did someone lose the Munsell-ometer?

This looks like a bad joke using trick photography. Galveston has LIGHTER colored sand than this...heck most beaches in America have lighter sand! All sand huggers need to unite! I will personally send bail $$$ if SJ, et al. need to proceed with buckets, shovels, hands to remove this hidious soil and run into trouble. Sorry I can't be there to join in the concern....I am with you in "fighting" spirit.

Will send $$$$$ if SJ needs it to get out of jail. It's a shame what they are doing!! What the #*!! where they thinking??? On, I get it, they were NOT thinking. I suppose if each of them get enough phone calls and emails, they may get the message! If not, maybe when it's time to go to the polls to vote, the people of SOWAL could give them the message!!
No offense taken on the GA red clay statement. We love our red clay, but not on the beaches of SOWAL!! I hope the house if full and the people let the Commissioners know EXACTLY how they feel!!

call every judge you can find that is local or has experience with the area. get an injunction on the use of the dark sand right now, today or it will be too late (may be too late already) as the amount dumped will reach a halfway point of the total to be dumped and after that it IS too late to do anything about stopping it

After much work today, County Commissioner Ken Pridgen requested an Emergency BCC meeting to take place at 5:00 p.m. this comming monday, August 1 at the South Walton Annex. The sole topic will be the use of this terrible brown muck that was placed at our beaches. Both Commissioner Pridgen and Meadows were as shocked at the photo's as we the people are.

Your attendance is needed this Monday. If you are concerned about the direction this Board of Commissioners has taken in regard to our beaches than please make your presence felt.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact: ed berry at 267.0558 or ed@shopforthehealthofit.com

MONDAY isn't soon enough! How about TODAY?!

Another thought --- This TOPSOIL mixed with white sand in front of the homes needing help could devalue their real estate! They shouldn't want that and are likely as appalled as the rest of us :!:

I posted the following paragraphs on another thread (e.g., the one regarding the emergency meeting), but they may be useful here. If people are concerned about preserving what's special about SoWal beaches, as well as the value of their homes (which is often tied to what people believe is unique and special about their area), then it's important to not do anything that would remove us from being listed in any of the "best beach" rankings that we are included in -- we are included in these rankings because our beaches are among the best in beauty, conservation, etc., in the country. It's important to help and support the people who have gulf front property preserve their homes, but not at the expense of the rest of SoWal (I imagine less than 1% of the people live in gulf front properties, which is what the brown sand -- which seems to be a short-term and cheap fix -- is meant to protect) -- especially when there are other and better alternatives (albeit more expensive alternatives but that may be part of the anticipated high costs of having gulf-front property).

If you go to http://www.drbeach.org you may get information about Dr. Beach's (Dr. Stephen B. Leatherman writes from his laboratory at Florida International University) "national healthy beach campaign" (SoWal beaches are recognized among his list). You may find some data that supports the concern about the dark sand here.

"Beach material" is one of the criteria used for judging the beaches... the categories are "Fine sand Medium sand Coarse sand Cobbles Rocky/Muddy" -- this may be useful information.

For those of you who are more familiar with beach standards, you may want to go to his website to see all of the 60 criteria. It certainly serves SoWal to continue to be on his list of recognized beaches. He's the one who selects the top 10 beaches every year (Grayton was one of them several years ago).

Can't be at the meeting but certainly support the efforts of people who will be there to preserve the beauty and uniqueness of our beaches.

My wife (Rita) keeps close tabs on this message board, and she showed me this thread today. Unfortunately, it no longer amazes me what some people think they can get away with. However, we need more than moral outrage to help fight this. So, I'm sharing some information with you that I hope will help you that are close enough fight a better battle (we live in Arlington, TX, but have a house in the Dune Allen area), one based more on science than emotion.

First, a little about myself. I am an agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are the agency that helped develop the Munsell Color Chart used to classify soil color (in an earlier post, someone referred to the Soil Conservation Service - that was us before a reorganization and name change about 10 years ago). My B.S. was in Soil Science, so I am familiar with how soil and soil materials are described and classified. That's not my area of expertise now, but I can point you toward links and resources that may be useful.

For more information on the Munsell Color classification scheme for soils, go to:

http://soils.usda.gov/technical/manual/contents/chapter3f.html

Here is a brief explanation, but you really need to follow the link to see some illustrations of the system.

The Munsell color system uses three elements of color?hue, value, and chroma?to make up a color notation. The notation is recorded in the form: hue, value/chroma?for example, 5Y 6/3.

Hue is a measure of the chromatic composition of light that reaches the eye. The Munsell system is based on five principal hues: red (R), yellow (Y), green (G), blue (B), and purple (P). Five intermediate hues representing midpoints between each pair of principal hues complete the 10 major hue names used to describe the notation. The intermediate hues are yellow-red (YR), green-yellow (GY), blue-green (BG), purple-blue (PB), and red-purple (RP).

Value indicates the degree of lightness or darkness of a color in relation to a neutral gray scale. On a neutral gray (achromatic) scale, value extends from pure black (0/) to pure white (10/). Gray is perceived as about halfway between black and white and has a value notation of 5/.

Chroma is the relative purity or strength of the spectral color. Chroma indicates the degree of saturation of neutral gray by the spectral color. The scales of chroma for soils extend from /0 for neutral colors to a chroma of /8 as the strongest expression of color used for soils.

One of the posts mentioned that a Munsell color of 6.2 was the lowest value that was considered acceptable for sand added to the beach. However, the "6.2", which I assume is a Munsell "value", is meaningless without knowing what hue (the basic color) range this value is in.

The NRCS has offices in almost every county in the country, and our employees are always available to help you with questions about our soil resources. Here is contact information for three people who should be able to answer some or all of your questions. I suggest contacting them in the order they are listed:

Terry Smith
USDA-NRCS
239 John Baldwin Road, Suite 2
DeFuniak springs, FL 32433
850-892-3712 EXT. 3
Terry.Smith@fl.usda.gov

Terry is the District Conservationist in Walton Co., and if he can't answer your questions, he can contact:

Jeff Allen
USDA-NRCS
4155 Hollis Drive
Marianna, FL 32448-2708
850-482-2002 EXT. 111
Jeff.Allen@fl.usda.gov

or

Andrew Williams
USDA-NRCS
c/o Santa Rosa Co. Health Department
Environmental Health Services
5840 Gulf Breeze Parkway
Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
850-932-9824
Andrew.Williams@fl.usda.gov

This is probably way too much information for many of you, but for those of you who will be carrying the fight for our beaches, I hope this is helpful.

Some photos from today - 7/30/05
http://www.sowal.com/photos-073005.html