Eglin AFB boosts security, fines for trespassing the Santa Rosa Island Test Area

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — Beachgoers on Santa Rosa Island will see an increased security presence around Eglin Air Force Base property.

In a press release on Thursday, officials from the 96th Security Forces Squadron announced that they will begin increasing patrols and citing trespassers who enter the Santa Rosa Island Closed Test Area, which runs from the El Matador Condominiums in Fort Walton Beach to Navarre Beach in Santa Rosa County.

The area is currently marked with signs and barriers indicating no trespassing. A person caught trespassing by land or water will be fined $65 per occurrence.

“It’s not safe for people to ignore the signs and barriers put in place to keep them out of the closed test area,” said Maj. Andrew McFee, 96th SFS commander.  “People put themselves at risk every time they walk past a ‘no trespass’ sign. This area is an active test range with all the associated hazards.”

Sea Turtles: It's not all planes and bombs: Eglin Air Force Base works to conserve sea turtles too

Alongside ongoing military use, the approximately 17-mile stretch of beach between the borders of the range is home to endangered plant and animal life, with even more activity beginning in May during the sea turtle nesting season.

“Eglin’s natural resources office works hard to protect the environment in our closed test areas,” said Eric Sculthorpe, 96th Civil Engineer Group Environmental Management branch chief. “By looking for a good place to set up for a day at the beach, people not only put themselves at risk, but could end up damaging fragile habitats critical to many plant and animal species.”

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Eglin AFB increases security around Santa Rosa Island Test Area