We're not doing enough to protect Florida beaches | Thumb down

Editor's note: This editorial has been changed from its original version.

What draws more visitors to the Sunshine State than all our theme parks combined?

It’s Florida’s beaches, which bring in some $55 billion in annual revenue — and which, according to a new report by the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation, are at risk because we aren’t doing enough to protect them.

Florida scored a “D” on the foundation’s 2018 “State of the Beach Report Card” because the state’s coastal management policies aren’t robust enough to protect the beaches from erosion and climate change. Coastal development regulations are “haphazardly implemented,” according to the report, and despite increased flooding in South Florida, there are no repetitive flood loss policies and no statewide planning for sea level rise.

The report recommends tougher policies to limit development seaward of the minimum development setback line, and other measures to protect these beautiful — and valuable — resources.