IN SUPPORT OF TAMPA BAY FREE BEACHES

WHEREAS, until the early 1980s, Florida had approximately 100 clothing-optional beach sites throughout the state and;

WHEREAS, at least four of the most popular, clothing-optional beaches were at beach parks that were on state-owned lands and;

WHEREAS, these popular, state-owned and -managed beaches were at Bahia Honda (Florida Keys), Honeymoon Island (Dunedin), MacArthur Beach (Palm Beach County) and Navarre Beach (Santa Rosa County) and, during the early 2000s, Navarre Beach was turned over to Santa Rosa County and is no longer under the ownership of the Division of State Lands and;

WHEREAS, presently, Florida has only four recognized, safe, clothing-optional beach sites at Apollo Beach (Volusia County), Blind Creek Beach (St. Lucie County), Haulover Beach (Miami-Dade County) and Playalinda Beach (Brevard County) and;

WHEREAS, these four beaches host domestic and international naturist tourists representing more than 1.5 million visitors annually with an annual economic impact exceeding 1.6 billion dollars for their communities and;

WHEREAS, it is our mission to expand safe, well-managed, designated, clothing-optional beaches by reclaiming three of these beaches at state parks that were lost, due to the anti-nudity rule in the Florida Administrative Code, 62D-2.014(7)(b) and;

WHEREAS, the two most successful, clothing-optional beaches in Florida — Blind Creek Beach, established in 2014 by Treasure Coast Naturists, and Haulover Beach, established in 1991 by South Florida Free Beaches, Inc. / Florida Naturist Association (SFFB / FNA) — were created and mentored by all-volunteer, naturist, “friends of” groups working closely with (and, in the case of SFFB/FNA, as a chapter of) B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, Inc. (Beach Education Advocates for Culture, Health, Environment & Safety), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and;

WHEREAS, more than 14,000 signers, including Florida residents as well as domestic and international tourists, have voiced their desire, through a petition, to have an established, safe, clothing-optional beach on the West Coast of Florida and;

WHEREAS, local naturist residents in the counties in and around the Tampa Bay Area have dedicated themselves to be advocates for working with local businesses, state and local government entities and communities to adopt and mentor a clothing-optional beach for this innocent, recreational activity and;

WHEREAS, while the naturist world contains many different constituencies, as do most social movements, its philosophy has some fundamental tenets, including but not limited to:

• Body acceptance
• Tolerance for differences
• Belief that non-sexual nudity is a healthy and positive way of living
• Commitment to promote naturism / nudism in a positive, proactive, cooperative and non-coercive fashion and;

WHEREAS, as in any movement, there can be people who claim to represent the naturist philosophy but whose behavior is, at times, inconsistent with those tenets and does damage to the image and progress of naturism / nudism and, when they assume leadership roles and attempt to speak for the movement, they do it a disservice and;

WHEREAS, Tampa Area Naturists, Inc. (TAN), the first entity with a declared mission to re-establish a clothing-optional beach in the Tampa Bay Area, under the leadership of one person, its President, John Palm, for more than 20 years and often without a functioning Board of Directors or body of members, has made almost no progress beyond the collection of petition signatures referenced above and;

WHEREAS, individuals from the undersigned organizations have for multiple years offered TAN advice, support, recommendations, technical assistance, and coordinated action toward building community support for the mission, but have seen most of that ignored or undermined while TAN has instead taken erratic and counterproductive actions that create needless complications for our statewide mission and alienate prospective members and well-meaning, qualified volunteers and;

WHEREAS, the organized, naturist industry / community has lost confidence in TAN’s ability to contribute to our shared mission and has concluded that John Palm does not represent the mission credibly and;

WHEREAS, Tampa Bay Free Beaches, Inc. (TBFB), the regional, “friends of” mentoring organization, has attracted seasoned free beach activists and professionals who bring experience from successful, clothing-optional beaches around the United States and;

WHEREAS, the undersigned, well-established, Florida and international naturist / nudist organizations have recognized, vetted and accepted Tampa Bay Free Beaches, Inc. to be the designated entity to take on the responsibility of being the on-site mentor of the proposed, clothing-optional beach site(s) in the Tampa Bay Area and;

WHEREAS, Tampa Bay Free Beaches, Inc. will be promoted and supported in its mission by the undersigned, well-established, Florida and international naturist / nudist organizations;

THEREFORE, we, the undersigned organizations, welcome Tampa Bay Free Beaches, Inc. to the organized, naturist industry / community and encourage the public and government to accept and support their mission for the greater good.