Coastal Construction
Florida's coastal management program protects Florida's beaches and dunes while ensuring reasonable use of private property. It's known as the Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) Program and is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on behalf of the Florida Legislature. The program regulates structures and activities which can cause beach erosion, destabilize dunes, damage upland properties, or interfere with public access. The program is also designed to protect sea turtles and dune plants.
The area under the jurisdiction of the program is the area seaward of the Construction Control Line as established in 1987. You can view the CCCL's location in the Town of Orchid on this interactive map on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's website. The location is based on coastal engineering models, survey and bathymetric data and scientific principles that determine the upland or landward extent of the damaging effects of a 100-year storm event.
To direct population concentrations away from known or predicted coastal high hazard areas, all activities involving construction, excavation, and sand removal, unless exempt under Section 161.053, Florida Statutes, are prohibited seaward of the 1987 CCCL without first obtaining a permit or other written authorization by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are a number of different permit and approval types issued by the department depending on the type of project, each with specific requirements. Local contractors are familiar with these, but coastal property owners may want to know more. Information is available direct from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's website or contacting a department representative:
Phone: (850) 245-8570
Email: cccl@dep.state.fl.us
Per Section 161.053 Florida Statutes, a coastal municipality fronting the Atlantic Ocean, as Town of Orchid is, shall advise the Florida Department of Environmental Protection within five days after receipt of any permit application for construction or other activities proposed to be located seaward of the CCCL.
During sea turtle nesting season, no construction, repair, restoration, alteration or maintenance projects east of the existing dune vegetation line shall occur, except for projects necessary to mitigate natural disaster occurrences, dune access projects that if left unattended pose a present danger to health and safety, and/or Florida Department of Environmental Protection permitted and monitored projects.
