Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA)
Stan Mayfield Working Waterfronts
Florida Forever Grant Program
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The Stan Mayfield Working Waterfronts Florida Forever grant program was created by the 2008 Legislature and is administered by Florida Communities Trust. To fund the program, the Legislature provided 2.5 percent of the total Florida Forever program appropriation, which at the current level provides $7.5 million annually to the program.
Grant funds will be used to acquire a parcel(s) of land directly used for the purposes of the commercial harvest of marine organisms or saltwater products by state-licensed commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, or business entities, including piers, wharves, docks, or other facilities operated to provide waterfront access to licensed commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, or business entities.
The funds may also be used for the acquisition of a parcel(s) of land used for exhibitions, demonstrations, educational venues, civic events, and other purposes that promote and educate the public about economic, cultural, and historic heritage of Florida's traditional working waterfronts, including the marketing of the seafood and aquaculture industries.
The acquisition of land used for recreational waterfront activities would not be considered within the Stan Mayfield Working Waterfronts Florida Forever grant program.
Learn More About the Stan Mayfield Working Waterfronts Florida Forever Grant Program
Waterfronts Florida Program
Back To TopThe Department of Community Affairs' Waterfronts Florida Program offers help to all coastal local governments in Florida to revitalize their working waterfronts by providing resources for planning. In addition, the Program designates selected communities to receive technical and limited financial assistance through the Waterfronts Florida Partnership Program.
The Waterfronts Florida Partnership Program was created by the Florida Coastal Management Program in 1997 to address the physical and economic decline of traditional working waterfront areas. New communities are designated as Waterfronts Florida Partnership Communities through a competitive application process held every two years. Since 1997, a total of 23 communities have received designation as Waterfronts Florida Partnership Communities. Most recently in June 2009, two new communities were designated for the 2009 - 2011 cycle: Fort Myers and the community of Millville in Panama City. Please contact the Waterfronts Florida Coordinator for information on the 2009 designation cycle.
Once it receives the designation, a community receives intensive technical assistance and limited financial assistance from the Department of Community Affairs, resulting in a new or refined community-designed vision plan (special area management plan) to guide the revitalization of the community's designated waterfront area. During the first year of designation, a community establishes its Waterfronts Florida Partnership, prepares a community-designed vision plan to guide the revitalization of the traditional working waterfront area, and begins implementation of the vision plan, as appropriate.
The visioning process and resulting document identify the community's issues and plans for addressing the following priority areas:
-- Public Access to the Waterfront Area
-- Hazard Mitigation
-- Environmental and Cultural Resource Protection
-- Enhancement of the Viable Traditional Economy or Economic Restructuring, as Feasible
During the second year, the community continues to implement its vision plan, focusing on incorporating its vision into the comprehensive plan and undertaking priority projects that will further its efforts to revitalize and preserve the working waterfront. The public dialogue and the partnerships developed with state agencies, private organizations and other Waterfronts Florida communities across the State enables a designated community to identify proactive solutions to address community concerns and to implement them.
The Waterfronts Florida Program is managed by the Florida Department of Community Affairs and funded in part by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Coastal Management Program, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). To read more about the Florida Coastal Management Program, visit the Department of Environmental Protection website.
