Lee County's beaches are its number one economic and environmental asset. Unfortunately, approximately 15 miles of the 47 total miles of beaches in Lee County are in a critical state of erosion. To address this on-going concern, the Board of County Commissioners established the Beach Preservation Task Force and later the Coastal Advisory Council (CAC). Along with the Division of Natural Resources staff, they developed the Lee County Beach Management Plan (September 1995). This document addresses the restoration and maintenance needs of our beaches as well as the economic, technical, governance, funding, and education issues associated with beach management. The CAC currently holds monthly public meetings to discuss and review projects, develop user surveys, set long and short range goals, apply for grant funding, monitor new rules, regulations, and legislation and to establish the budget for expenditure of tourist tax funds for beach related activities. In addition to providing liaison services to CAC, staff has been involved with several projects including the renourishment of Ft. Myers Beach in May 1996 and Bonita Beach in November 1995, shoreline study with the University of Florida Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering Department and the Federal Shore Protection Project for Lee County - Estero and Gasparilla Islands.