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Episode 4: Who Are You Representing?

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...

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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...

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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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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. According to firsthand accounts, his reluctance to advocate against the bill raised concerns about potential political influence and alignment with private beachfront interests over public access.

We hear from longtime Walton County advocate Dave Raushkolb, who recalls urging Representative Drake to request a veto from Governor Rick Scott, only to experience an hour-long effort to dissuade him. Despite initial signals that the governor would veto HB 631, he ultimately signed it into law, later issuing Executive Order 18-202 which encouraged access but did not halt the law. Attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, who helped found Florida Beaches for All, expands on highly strategic and largely undetected legal actions—such as quiet title filings—that repositioned beachfront boundaries to favor private ownership. These efforts, according to Uhlfelder, frame the legislation as part of a broader organized “land grab.”

As the episode unfolds, we explore how lobbying and influence campaigns contributed to legislative decisions contrary to local interests. Uhlfelder reflects on the deeper lesson: what happened on Walton County’s beaches could happen anywhere, and only through active civic engagement can such efforts be challenged. His personal motivation stems from family history and a belief in speaking out against injustice, even without personal gain. The episode closes with a call to recognize that while the fight may not be won, silence ensures defeat.

Key Takeaways

  • HB 631 passed in 2018, overturning Walton County’s customary use ordinance and requiring property-by-property litigation to reestablish beach access.

  • Former Representative Brad Drake changed his vote between rounds and later resisted engaging publicly in the reasoning, despite inquiries from residents.

  • Governor Rick Scott signed the bill, though he later issued Executive Order 18-202 urging continued public access to beaches.

  • Attorney Daniel Uhlfelder co-founded Florida Beaches for All, organizing advocacy efforts, legal intervention, public education, and social mobilization.

  • Quiet title actions involving beachfront property boundaries played a significant role in reducing public beach access.

  • The broader issue extends beyond Walton County—highlighting the power of lobbying and political influence over public interests.

  • Civic engagement, persistence, and willingness to act are presented as the only means to resist similar erosion of public rights.

Referenced Resources & Materials