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Episode 3: A War on all Fronts

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

Release Date: 12/26/2025

Episode 1: Before the Storm show art Episode 1: Before the Storm

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

  🎙️ Eroded – Episode 1: 30A’s Battle for Florida’s Beaches Over the past year and a half, this issue has been examined and is one of the most intense and consequential local issues in recent Florida history: the struggle over using the beach and property rights in Walton County—specifically the 27 miles of coastline along County Road 30A. What began as a seemingly isolated conflict has steadily escalated into a county-wide crisis shaping local politics, economics, tourism, and community trust. This episode lays the foundation for the series, explaining how a local...

info_outline Episode 2: HB631 Origins and Impact show art Episode 2: HB631 Origins and Impact

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

  Show Notes In this episode, we dive into the complicated and highly charged fight over customary use and private beaches in South Walton (especially along County Road 30A). The conversation begins with a recap of HB 631 — a controversial Florida law that many local residents believed would “take away the beach” from the public. Amid election-period rhetoric, people received alarming emails about losing beach access, but as Senator Passidomo, one of the bills sponsors points out, much of the fear stemmed from misunderstanding or mischaracterizing the language of the bill. Next, we...

info_outline Episode 3: A War on all Fronts show art Episode 3: A War on all Fronts

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

Episode 3 – Eroded Beaches (2017–2018) “30A’s Battle for Florida’s Beaches” I'm about to show you how four Florida lawmakers — two at the state level and two at the federal level — were involved in decisions that impacted beaches along the panhandle between 2017 and 2018. This episode drills into the evolution of HB 631, a bill that began as an eviction-related technical amendment and ultimately became legislation affecting coastal property rights statewide. We explore how amendments were added through committee input, lobbyist influence, and legal advisement, and how the...

info_outline Episode 4: Who Are You Representing? show art Episode 4: Who Are You Representing?

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

Show Notes – Who Are You Representing? In this episode, we dive into the political maneuvering and legal battles that shaped the future of Walton County’s beaches following the passage of HB 631. The discussion details how state legislation—authored by lawmakers outside the county—ultimately rolled back Walton County’s customary use ordinance, forcing the county into litigation against more than 1,000 beachfront properties. Though the bill passed with overwhelming support, former State Representative Brad Drake’s reversal in his vote remains a point of contention and speculation....

info_outline Episode 5: Dismissed With Prejudice show art Episode 5: Dismissed With Prejudice

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

🎙️ Show Notes: Customary Use, Vendor Impact & the Changing Beach Economy In this segment, we examine how the repeal of local ordinance authority under HB 631 forced Walton County into the courtroom to establish customary use, leading to over 1,100 lawsuits and mounting legal costs. While the intent was to ensure non-political adjudication of property rights, the real-world application resulted in years of litigation with minimal gains. Most critically, over 1,044 beachfront parcels were “dismissed with prejudice” in 2023, meaning Walton County will never again be able to bring...

info_outline Episode 6: What's Done is Done show art Episode 6: What's Done is Done

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

In this episode, we examine the legislative and grassroots efforts that reshaped beach access in Florida, focusing on how HB 631 (effective July 1 2018) created a legal framework for local governments to take action on “customary use” of dry‑sand beaches—yet it especially targeted Walton County, where property owners and the county itself spent millions of dollars in litigation. Meanwhile, the subsequent law SB 1622 (signed June 24 2025) repealed key portions of HB 631 and opened the door back for local governments to adopt customary‑use ordinances. We talk with grassroots...

info_outline Episode 7: No Good Deed show art Episode 7: No Good Deed

Eroded: 30A's Battles for Florida's Beaches

In this episode of Eroded, host Jared Schnader sits down with Sara Day, a Santa Rosa Beach resident who has become a central figure in the fight for public access to Walton County beaches. Moving from Texas in search of a laid-back coastal lifestyle, Sara quickly realized that the idyllic beaches she and her family had envisioned were not fully accessible to the public. From being harassed on the sand to discovering that some beachfront homeowners were actively misrepresenting property lines, Sara’s journey exposes the complexities of private vs. public beach access in Florida. Sara shares...

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Episode 3 – Eroded Beaches (2017–2018)

“30A’s Battle for Florida’s Beaches”

I'm about to show you how four Florida lawmakers — two at the state level and two at the federal level — were involved in decisions that impacted beaches along the panhandle between 2017 and 2018. This episode drills into the evolution of HB 631, a bill that began as an eviction-related technical amendment and ultimately became legislation affecting coastal property rights statewide. We explore how amendments were added through committee input, lobbyist influence, and legal advisement, and how the process allowed geographically distant lawmakers to impact a local issue — often over the objection of experts or even the bill sponsor.

State Senator Kathleen Passidomo (then Senate sponsor of HB 631) explains how bill amendments are part of the legislative process, though sometimes pushed by outside interests. On the House side, Representative Katie Edwards-Walpole, who represented Florida’s 98th district 575 miles from Walton County, helped shepherd the bill despite having no direct coastal constituency. We investigate whether legal and political strategy targeted Walton County specifically. In parallel, U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, formerly a state representative for Walton County, began promoting H.R. 1073, a bill that would have allowed sell-offs of federal beach lands in his district. Meanwhile, former Governor Mike Huckabee sent an email supporting property rights enforcement after experiencing issues near his beachfront home.

In the second half of the episode, we hear from Kimberly Stanley, a short-term rental owner in Seagrove Beach, who details how privatization and shifting access rules have hurt tourism and rental revenue. Her firsthand account paints a picture of mounting frustration, mixed messaging, and unclear enforcement that has directly impacted investment value, visitor reviews, and local sentiment. While the intent of HB 631 was to clarify customary use, the result has been economic harm and increased conflict between homeowners, renters, and local government.

As we close the episode, we examine whether lawmakers acted in the best interest of their constituents — and what happens when decisions are made from 500+ miles away.

Key Takeaways

  • HB 631’s evolution: Started as a technical legal bill, later amended to address beach access and customary use in ways that disproportionately impacted Walton County.

  • Legislative influence from afar: Lawmakers outside the region shaped policy affecting 30A, including Rep. Edwards-Walpole and Sen. Passidomo.

  • Cross-level alignment: At the same time, Rep. Matt Gaetz promoted a related proposal to open up federal beach land in his district to private development.

  • Property rights vs public access: Emails, including one from former Governor Mike Huckabee, highlighted tensions over private beachfront ownership rights.

  • Real-world consequences: Rental investors like Kimberly Stanley have seen revenue drop 20–25% due to confusing and restrictive beach access rules.

Referenced Materials & Resources