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The Blue Flag USA program is excited to announce a new beach candidate pursuing the Blue Flag Award: Delray Beach, Florida. ASBPA, the national operator for the Blue Flag USA program (BF USA), has been working with beaches around the US to determine their current level of compliance with the Blue Flag eco-award criteria and Delray Beach, FL has met the initial requirements to be a Blue Flag beach candidate— the second level of engagement in the Blue Flag Award process.
The Blue Flag award process includes four levels of engagement between the host location and the Blue Flag program. They include: Interest, Candidate, Applicant, and Award. Interested beaches engage in Blue Flag presentations and conversations with BF USA staff. Candidate sites have submitted their Self-assessment Questionnaire for review and are working to meet criteria through partnerships, educational webinars and toolkits, and one-on-one meetings. Applicant sites are meeting all the criteria and are ready to submit a full application in the next award cycle. Finally, Awards are issued to sites by the international Jury each year and audited by BF USA staff.
Sites looking to learn more about the process can reach out to us at any time and submit a Self-assessment Questionnaire for review. Not a site, but looking to get involved? Contact us for more information and learn about opportunities to support sites nationally or in your region. Contact: Annie Mercer, Program Coordinator – (910) 368-7847 or annie.mercer@asbpa.org.
ABOUT BLUE FLAG USA: The Blue Flag eco-award is one of five environmental education programs offered by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The award is offered to beaches, marinas, and tourism boats meeting over 30 criteria for water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and services, sustainable tourism, and social responsibility. ASBPA launched the Blue Flag USA program at the 2021 National Coastal Conference in New Orleans, LA.