Get Your Feet Wet

Discover Biscayne Bay

We celebrate Biscayne Bay and envision a community that offers safe, abundant

and diverse experiences for physical and visual access to these waters.

The Public Access Plan for Biscayne BayExecutive Summary

Illustration by Carol Garvin

“It is an interestingbiological fact that all of us have in ourveins the exact samepercentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean… we have salt in ourblood, in our sweat, in our tears. We aretied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came.”

– John F. Kennedy

Living in Florida, many of us may considerourselves tied to the ocean. But a surprising numberof South Florida residents rarely encounter the beautiful watersthat characterize our community. By any measure, the waters and shoreline of Biscayne Bay are a treasure. The Bay is a uniquenatural habitat, a rich ecological community with abundant and varied animal and plant life.The Bay is part of a large regional ecosystem connecting the Everglades, several rivers, FloridaBay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Southeast Florida’s coastal areas are remarkable in their diversity. Between Miami-Dade’snorthern and southern county lines, a distance of less than 50 miles, the coastline reveals lushgreen parklands, dense mangrove preserves, open sandy beaches, bustling shipping ports andmarinas, high-rise hotels, and mansions of the rich and famous.

The Bay is a focal point of recreational activity for local residents and the 10 million touristswho visit each year. Boating, swimming, fishing, sunbathing, shopping, dining and sightseeing all are part of Miami’s water-oriented lifestyle and a major factor in the area’s economy. From hotels to cruise lines, from condo towers to the new performing arts center, our com-munity and the lives and livelihood of its residents are affected greatly by Biscayne Bay.

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The Bay defines the identity of SouthFlorida and Miami-Dade County.

So it’s hard to imagine that many localresidents have no relationship withBiscayne Bay. Yet, for a substantial portionof the local population, the Bay is tooremote, too expensive, blocked from access and even blocked from view.

The reasons are many – physical, socialand economic, the result of urban planningand development, transportation andregulatory issues, and public policy. Thereasons are not new, nor are they unique to Miami-Dade. Experts and concernedcitizens have recognized the issues fordecades, and over the years considerableefforts have addressed many aspects ofwaterfront planning and use. Still, publicaccess to Biscayne Bay remains a challenge.

In 1999, the Florida legislature establishedthe Biscayne Bay Partnership Initiative, acommunity-based forum to survey publicand private activities and programsaffecting the Bay, and provide recommen-dations for actions to protect and enhancethe Bay’s resources. Ecological health wasmade a special priority.

Among the overarching themes identifiedby the Partnership was the importance ofunlocking access to Biscayne Bay. Based onrecommendations of the Partnership, the

State of Florida in 2001 provided fundingfor the Trust for Public Land (TPL) todevelop a strategic public access plan forthe Bay.

Under the guidance and authority of theSouth Florida Water ManagementDistrict, TPL spearheaded a two-year,three-phase planning effort, in collabo-ration with an advisory team of informed,dedicated and highly able individuals whoknow and love Biscayne Bay and whoshare the aim of making the Bay moreaccessible to greater numbers of people.

This advisory team of about three dozenindividuals reflected a cross-section ofinterests – the environment, tourism andrecreation, government, education,business, and planning and resourcemanagement. Together, they represented a wealth of knowledge and experience infields with a direct bearing on BiscayneBay and the issues shaping its future. Theyalso were familiar with the previousresearch and recommendations concern-ing the Bay and took advantage of thisvaluable body of knowledge.

During 2003 TPL and the advisory teamconducted a series of meetings, work-shops, brainstorming sessions and researchactivities, from which emerged a vision forthe future of the Bay and a strongconsensus about what needs to happen inthe coming years.

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The recommendationscontained in the

Biscayne Bay strategicaccess plan are based

on a shared vision:

Biscayne Bay shines as Miami-DadeCounty’s crown jewel. Its crystal watersflow from a vibrant urban area topristine, natural settings reminiscent ofearly Florida when unencumberedvistas blurred the line between sky andsea. We continually return to theseshores and waters to see, feel andexperience their magic by means of awell-defined and integrated system ofgreen and open spaces, landscapes oftrails and water-borne routes. Nomatter where we live, how old we are orwhat our abilities may be, we enjoy safephysical and visual access to a diversityof recreational, commercial, cultural andnatural experiences that entertain andchallenge us and restore our souls. Wecelebrate the Bay’s inherent beauty andrespect the wildlife living there. We usethe Bay responsibly, ensuring its healthand knowing that it is the key to thequality and vitality of our community.

...............In articulating this vision, the advisoryteam started with a set of core values.They include a commitment toenvironmental sustainability,appreciation of the area’s wildlife, andthe promise of equity – the promisethat everyone will have equal physicaland visual access to the Bay. Also amongthe core values is the acknowledgmentthat Bay access contributes significantlyto the community’s economy and itsquality of life, and that the two areinseparable. Finally, because the teamvalued the visual aesthetic of BiscayneBay, it shared a commitment toprotecting the Bay’s special vistas – not only from the land to the water, but also from the water to the land.

4 Photograph by Jo-Anne Gardner

To realize this vision, the advisory team set fortha series of goals, recommendations and actions toensure Bay access for all residents and visitors,and to increase opportunities for access amongthose who most lack it.

Goal 1: Develop a comprehensiveenvironmental education andpublic awareness program. Through public education, broad-basedcommunications, events and publications,and by nurturing effective coalitions ofcommunity organizations, neighborhoodsand individuals, we can create a stronggrassroots constituency for the Bay,increase the community’s sense ofstewardship of its resources and encour-age strong advocacy for its preservation.

Goal 2: Create an ethic of respect forwildlife and environmentalresponsibility. Through wildlife and habitatconservation, by taking steps to reducepollution and by restoring critical landand water areas, Miami-Dade residentscan enhance both the ecological and theeconomic health of the community.

Goal 3: Ensure responsible, balanced and equitable access to the Bay. Equal Bay access for all Miami-Daderesidents and visitors means creating an

infrastructure that addresses a broadrange of issues – transportation, facilities,recreation, location, distribution,affordability, management, quality andconnections. Equal access also meansproviding opportunities for people ofvarying abilities and across the fulleconomic spectrum, and for people withdifferent ideas about how they want touse and enjoy the Bay.

Goal 4: Promote economic vitality and balanced growth.South Florida’s approaches to urbandesign and development will continue tohave profound implications on the futureof Biscayne Bay views, access and use.Through better planning, moreconsistent safeguards and enforcement,and through more effective cooperationamong diverse interests, decision-makerscan do a better job of balancing thecommunity’s needs for a thrivingeconomy and a healthy environment.

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Goal 6: Develop an integrated system oftransportation alternatives. The Bay offers a good opportunity forenhancing Miami-Dade’s transportationnetworks and increasing Bay access for allresidents and visitors. A coordinatedapproach to land and water transportationwill encompass issues related to the use ofboats, cars, buses and publictransportation.

Goal 7: Ensure safety and consistentenforcement of protectivemeasures. Safety on our waters is integral toenjoyment and access. A fundamental goalof the access plan is based on efforts toprovide broader public education onswimming, boating safety and overallcommunity security.

It is in all of the community’s interest toshare a commitment to protecting theland and water upon which our economydepends, with the understanding thatmajor economic forces – such as the Portof Miami and Miami-Dade’s real estatedevelopment industry – are dependent onthe condition of the Bay.

Goal 5: Establish a system ofcoordinated governance and sound public policy. Over the long term, improving publicaccess to the Bay will depend on the waythis community – from decision-makersand business leaders to public agencies andlocal residents – addresses issues of policy,administration and management of landand water resources. By working toimprove the clarity and consistency of regulations governing Bay use, we canimprove coordination among differentjurisdictions, maximize the impact ofexisting safeguards, streamline the per-mitting process and inform better decisionmaking with respect to public policy.

6 Photograph by Jo-Anne Gardner

• Empowering a county-wide Biscayne Bay organization to spearhead the ongoing effort ofprotecting Bay resources, enhancing access and advocating for responsible stewardship.

• Safeguarding physical access to the Bay and protecting special Bay views, includingconsistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations.

• Protecting critical land and water areas for public access in perpetuity, including publicacquisition of key sites or use of conservation easements for community benefit.

• Creating a shoreline walking and biking trail to provide an interconnected greenwayalong the waterfront.

• Creating a waterway trail for canoes and kayaks, with the necessary information,facilities and services to allow small-boat access throughout Bay waters.

• Supporting public communication programs to promote knowledge and appreciationof Bay resources, including publications, media coverage, online resources and othermeans of sharing information about the Bay.

• Improving Miami-Dade’s boating infrastructure to enable residents and visitors toenjoy Bay waters more easily, affordably and safely.

From planning to action:

On behalf of the many local residents, agencies and organizationsthat value Biscayne Bay for play, for respite and rehabilitation, for the environmental and economic opportunities it offers, and simply as the identifying feature of our community, TPLpresents this plan for improving public access to the Bay.

A series of recommended strategies and pilot projects will provide some of the firstspecific steps to transform this plan into access. These projects are a way to increaseawareness of our objectives and offer new opportunities for area residents and visitors to enjoy these waters and shores.

Recommendations for improving public access to the Bay include:

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The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit organization that conserves land for people toenjoy as parks, gardens, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generationsto come. Established in 1972, TPL has had a strong presence in Florida for most of theorganization’s history, helping create parks and protect open spaces and natural areas for publicuse. TPL has also been a leading force in the creation of the Miami River Greenway, now underdevelopment as a series of parks and pathways along both sides of the river.

www.tpl.org/floridawww.discoverbiscaynebay.org

With grateful appreciation to the South Florida Regional Planning Council’s Institute forCommunity Collaboration and the members and alternates of the Access Plan Advisory Teamfor their dedication to this planning effort: Elizabeth Abbott, Doug Black, David Brennan, Mike Brescher, Allyn Childress, Marsha Colbert, Marella Crane, Ovidio DeLeon, Phil Everingham,Barbara Falsey, Craig Grossenbacher, Cynthia Guerra, David Henderson, Harry Horgan, Jim King,Captain Dan Kipnis, Nancy Lee, Nancy Liebman, Carl Liederman, Adrian Ayee-Lyew, Ernie Martin,Monika Mayr, Gary Milano, Rafaela Monchek, James F. Murley, Jorge Padron, Audrey Ordenes,Don Pybas, Tim Schmand, Cai Svendson, Bann Williams.

For more information about the Biscayne Bay Public Access Plan, please contact Amy Condon, Project Manager, The Trust for Public Land 7900 Red Road, Suite 25, South Miami, Florida 33143 305-667-0409, amy.condon@tpl.org

Photographs by Michael Wray except as noted

Graphic design by Kim Foster Design

Concept and copy by Phyllis Shapiro