CARLSBAD —- Workers began pouring concrete Monday for a new sea wall at Terramar beach in southern Carlsbad, to the outrage of some surfers and environmental activists who say the structure could ruin a quiet and picturesque stretch of shoreline that is favored by locals.

When finished, the sea wall will be roughly 95 feet long and vary in height from 23 to 32 feet, according to a permit for the project that states the wall will be made of textured, colored concrete to blend in with ocean bluffs. The structure is designed to buttress a section of coastal bluffs topped by two multimillion-dollar beachfront homes.

Property owner Dean A. Goetz said Monday afternoon that the $500,000 wall is necessary because the section of bluffs that the wall will protect has repeatedly dropped large amounts of sand onto the public beach below.

read more of the story at north country times

Victorian Minister for Planning, Justin Madden MP, has rejected the findings of the Government’s own Independent Panel Inquiry, and approved a plan to construct a large breakwater and boatramp at Bastion Point, on the east coast of Victoria.

By granting consent to the East Gippsland Shire to proceed with this project, the Minister has ignored advice from within government and gone against the wishes of the majority of the community.

The Independent Panel Inquiry found that there were significant problems with all of the proposed breakwater options. The Panel report cited serious concerns with safety, a poor economic argument, concerns over the long-term viability of the proposal, and the likelihood that the development would be a net detriment to Mallacoota’s tourism potential. The Panel concluded that the proposal offered no significant societal benefit, and that an upgrade of the existing facility was their preferred alternative.

The Independent Panel Report states the following: Weighing up all the different issues and considerations for ocean access at Mallacoota, the Panel has concluded that on balance the development proposals should not proceed. The economic case for the project is very weak and likely to have a benefit cost ratio well  below 1.

To help save the point visit http://savebastionpoint.org/

The Chicago Park District has lifted its ban on surfing at its beaches. Surfers are now allowed to hang 10 at their own risk during the swim season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) at Montrose and 57th Street Beaches, and out-of-season (Labor Day through Memorial Day) at Osterman, Montrose, 57th Street and Rainbow Beaches.

“We’re really excited,” said Vince Deur, co-chair of the Lake Michigan chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, which lobbied for the change.

Efforts to legalize surfing in Chicago began in December 2006 after Jack Flynn, a graphic designer who lives in Old Town, was ticketed for surfing off the 57th Street Beach.

Flynn started an online petition. “I got a couple thousand signatures from people from all over the world,” he said. “People were calling me from Bali saying they were excited that if they were ever in Chicago they could go surfing.”

Deur and the Surfrider Foundation joined the effort, meeting with Park District staffers several times beginning last December. “We’re not talking about endangering people’s lives,” Deur said. “This is recreation people love and enjoy.”

read the full story at Chicago Tribune

another article done by time