Save Our Soundside (SOS), headquartered in Gulf Breeze, FL is dedicated to protecting the community and environment from the adverse impacts of overdevelopment and to promote sustainable solutions to maintain good habitats for the environment. Santa Rosa County’s population has almost doubled since 2000, leading to extraordinary growth and development. Founded in 2018, SOS closely monitors new development efforts, paying particular attention to their impacts on flooding. As well, they research and document changes made to the land. SOS writes letters to editors and op-ed pieces to raise awareness and show up to testify or submit comments at public hearings. The proceedings are meant to fight for reasonable development policies that will support the community that already lives there. They are working with partner organizations in Santa Rosa County to find solutions to balancing resource management with growth in a reasonable way with appropriate planning.
Fill and build development being done in the area.
Self-proclaimed “watchdogs,” SOS calls attention to environmental violations that county and state agencies are not monitoring. The unique peninsula of south Santa Rosa County has been almost completely clear cut of natural vegetation and trees to make way for tract housing, rendering the environment and ecosystems almost beyond restoration. SOS closely monitors how development efforts could impact flooding and mobilizes community members to participate in the public planning and decision-making process. SOS, 100-members strong, is led by residents Dara Hartigan and Liz Pavelick, with the solitary mission of protecting the habitat and waterways of the Gulf Coastal Lowlands for all. They have called upon the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prohibit all construction and the use of fill within the 100-year floodplain; require all critical infrastructure be elevated; ban all industry in the 500-year floodplain; and ensure that new homeowners know flood risks by requiring states to pass disclosure laws.