Senator Joe Gruters joined DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein to celebrate the award of a $125,000 resiliency grant to improve the management of Sarasota County beaches. This funding will aid the development a comprehensive vulnerability study and subsequent resilience plan that will allow federal, state and local officials to collaboratively and strategically plan for sea level rise along sandy shorelines of Sarasota County. Sarasota County is home to nearly 35 miles of sandy shorelines, of which 24.2 miles have been designated as critically eroding. The county does not currently have a resilience plan for coastal management that addresses current conditions, existing management strategies and projected sea level rise. “I am pleased to be here today to celebrate this historic step for beach management in Sarasota County and across our state,” said Senator Gruters. “Beaches are economic drivers for the state and are part of our way of life, and recognizing this, we continue to make restoration of our beaches a priority. It is no surprise that this region will be leading the way in addressing the importance of incorporating sea level rise into our beach management strategy as well as regional approach to this effort.”