In 1995, the Florida Coastal Management Program (FCMP) contracted with the Florida Center for Public Management to develop the Florida Assessment of Coastal Trends (FACT 1995), the nation’s first coastal environmental indicator system. FACT 1995 added an important management tool to improve FCMP’s vision in dealing with the future of Florida's coastal areas.

FACT 1995 provided a comprehensive perspective of the important environmental, growth management, economic, and social values associated with the coast. This system provided a means of evaluating Florida's progress in protecting its coastal areas; a basis for making strategic decisions about programs and financial resources; and information about coastal issues and problems for other decision-makers and the general public.

This document – FACT 1997 – is the first scheduled update and revision of the original indicator system. This revision includes:

• updated data in the indicators,
• deletion of indicators with poor or nonexistent data sources, and
• addition of new indicators to improve the system.

Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction

Impact of Growth in the Coastal Zone
Disruption of Coastal Physical Processes
Responding to Coastal Threats and Hazards
Degradation and Restoration of Coastal Ecosystems
Managing Fresh Water Allocation
Sustaining the Human Uses of the Coast
Balancing Public and Private Uses of Resources
Preservation of Cultural and Aesthetic Resources
Encouraging Public Awareness and Involvement

Indicators No Longer Included in FACT