FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tina Haisman, ASBPA Media Relations, 239-292-2882 or media@asbpa.org

Upcoming coastal conference will bring leading experts together for the betterment of America’s beaches
Coastal experts from around the U.S. will gather to advance the cause of preserving America’s shorelines at the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's (ASBPA) National Coastal Conference on St. Pete Beach.

FORT MYERS, FL – From the challenge of maintaining healthy beaches to the process of securing scarce funding to restore them, coastal experts from around the U.S. will gather to advance the cause of preserving America’s shorelines at the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's (ASBPA) National Coastal Conference on St. Pete Beach.

The conference, entitled "Integrating Coastal Science and Policy," will be held Oct. 14-16 at the Tradewinds Islands Grande Resort on St. Pete Beach. The conference will educate attendees about current coastal issues facing the nation, including several from the Tampa Bay area. For more information online, visit http://www.asbpa.org/conferences/conf_fall_09.htm.

A highlight of the ASBPA conference will be a half-day guided field trip on Friday, Oct. 16. Participants will travel on a bus and boat tour of the Treasure Island and Long Key (St. Pete Beach) segments of the Pinellas County federal shore protection project. The tour is open to the media, but not the general public. Please call (239) 489-2616 for more information, or if you would like to take part in the tour.

Speakers and highlights of the conference include:

• Florida State Senator Dennis Jones, Welcome
• Mike Sole, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection:
"Florida’s Beach Management Program: Recent Milestones and Future Challenges."
• Tom Campbell: "Science and Policy Considerations/Solutions for Sustainable Shore Protection and Erosion Control Programs in the U.S."
• John Lee: "Post-Hurricane Ike ground observations on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas."
• Robert G. Dean: "Reflections on Beach Nourishment in Florida and Thoughts about the Future"
• Numerous breakout sessions on topics such as Hurricane Ike, local and state beach policy, project design and management and the impact of sea level rise, as well as technical reviews of numerous coastal concerns.

“The ASBPA’s National Coastal Conference is an outstanding opportunity for the leaders of America’s coastal areas to congregate, share ideas, learn new techniques and help educate each other on the challenges and opportunities we face,” said Harry Simmons, ASBPA president and mayor of Caswell Beach, N.C. “The conference on St. Pete Beach will take place at the epicenter of coastal issues, and we expect a marvelous outcome.”

For more information and a complete listing of conference programs, visit www.asbpa.org.

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ABOUT ASBPA: Founded in 1926, the ASBPA promotes the integration of science, policies and actions that maintain, protect and enhance the coasts of America. For more information on ASBPA, go to www.asbpa.org, facebook or www.twitter.com/asbpa.