A new law signed by Governor DeSantis on Tuesday could change who owns parts of Fort Myers Beach, sparking concern among property owners who believe they own the land from their homes to the Gulf.
Watch as Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev, reports from the Estero Island shoreline.
The legislation overrides older statutes and allows the state to create a new erosion control line if a shoreline is designated "critically eroded." Any sand added seaward of that line would become state land.
On Fort Myers Beach, where many homes have deeds that extend to the waterline, property owners are expressing concerns about potential impacts.
"There is no erosion down there. And, and you know, so, [we] the property owners all contested that, and the state removed that erosion control line," said Edward Rood, beachfront property owner and Marine Environmental Task Force Member.
Rood said he and his neighbor previously filed a lawsuit to protect their property rights.
"The state already claims that we don't own that property, which we all... All the property owners down there fully agree that we do own it... But the rest of the neighbors in the area are not in agreement with that. And they are right now currently organizing themselves for possibly contesting it yet again," Rood said.
Under the new law, even areas without an erosion control line could now be subject to one—if the state declares the shoreline critically eroded.
"We would contest it again. We would all band together and contest it again, as it was done back in the earlier mid-2000s. But we have the engineers' reports... where there is no erosion. The beach is actually accreting over 50 feet a year," Rood said.
Governor DeSantis said the law is about balancing public interest with private property rights, and speeding up beach renourishment by eliminating the need for public easements from private landowners before restoration begins.
"This will ensure the restoration projects can begin very quickly, and that every dollar we invest in rebuilding the beach goes towards actual sand and vegetation, not needless litigation," DeSantis said.
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