Will COVID relief dollars go toward improving SC beaches? What to know
State parks and tourism officials are seeking tens of millions of COVID relief dollars as part of the latest round of federal assistance, including help to expand state park capacity and address erosion issues at beaches.
The request comes as lawmakers wrestle with how to divvy up $2.5 billion worth of American Rescue Plan Act money, which can be used to safely reopen hospitality, travel and tourism industries.
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism is asking for $15 million for beach nourishment programs, $14 million to increase park capacity around the state, and $50 million for marketing.
Gov. Henry McMaster’s AccelerateSC Committee, a group tasked with making recommendations on how to spend federal COVID dollars, recommended $47.5 million for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, which includes money to address erosion at the state’s beaches and continued tourism recovery efforts.
Tourism is a large economic driver in the state and took a large hit at the onset of the pandemic as restrictions on the economy were put in place, but the industry in the state has rebounded.
One of the uses being suggested by SC PRT is for beach nourishment, a practice of adding sand and sediment to beaches or near shorelines that provides storm protection for coastal structures, creates new habitat and enhances beach recreation, according to the National Park Service.
“South Carolina’s coastal destinations are critical to the state’s overall tourism economy and the publicly accessible beaches are fundamental components of these destinations’ tourism infrastructure,” the AccelerateSC report said. “Providing funds for beach nourishment serves to protect this vital tourism infrastructure and the local economies that are dependent upon them for survival and success.”
Previous efforts, such as rebuilding dunes and associated structures, have been completed, but future hurricanes could lead to subsequent erosion issues, said S.C. PRT Director Duane Parrish.
Parrish said the project requests would still need to be reviewed to make sure they fit under the federal laws, but that they could fit under efforts to address climate change, which is allowed under the American Rescue Plan.
State Rep. Gilda Cobb Hunter, D-Orangeburg, was not sold that ARPA money should go to beach nourishment or park capacity work.
Cobb-Hunter said the Biden Administration didn’t include beach renourishment as an intended use when using ARPA money on climate change issues.
“What I’ve seen coming from the Biden Administration on climate change has been addressing those systemic environmental impacts of toxins and pollutants and all of that,” she said. “I’m trying to see where, from a stand point of priorities, beach renourishment fits in, say with a community that has been suffering from a cement plant for years, and ground water contamination.”
Cobb-Hunter also said using money to create new parks or for beach renourishment may not be the right approach, even though assisting the tourism industry is an allowable expense under the American Rescue Plan.
“I’m all in favor of creating new parks, but if the state of South Carolina wants new parks added to its system, I think the state ought to commit to those dollars,” Cobb-Hunter said.
PRT also has requested money to help expand park capacity. During the pandemic, attendance at parks increased because they offered an outdoor space where people could maintain safe distances.
Parrish said parks can fill the outdoor recreation need if the pandemic surges again.
“Those became favorite places, and it’s still true today,” he said.
State parks, which were closed in March 2020 early in the pandemic, reopened in May 2020.
SC PRT asked for $14 million to provide more space for overnight accommodations at parks, increased access to oceans, lakes and rivers and to develop new parks in the state.
“At that time we had parks that have never hit capacity in their 75- or 80-year history, all of a sudden we’re full,” Parrish said. “That has continued on through today. We have had a record year in terms of visitation, in terms of revenue, which obviously brings capacity issues.”
PRT asked for $50 million over five years for long-term tourism recovery efforts. It wants to spend $20 million on destination marketing organizations such as chambers of commerce and conventions and visitors bureaus. The department also wants to use $30 million to market the state domestically and internationally.
Tourism has increased since the vaccine started being widely distributed in April. South Carolina’s hotel and vacation rentals are up 32% compared to the same period last year. Hotel and vacation rentals are up 27% nationally, according to SC PRT.
But travel plans could change.
Parrish said the surge in COVID-19 cases has people reconsidering whether to travel.
“What I tell you today, may not be applicable six to 12 months from now,” said Parrish, who requested flexibility with COVID relief money the department receives.
