SANTA MONICA—On May 21, it was announced that Santa Monica State Beach was one of five recipients of the 2015 Best Restored Beach award, given by the non-profit organization American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA).

“We chose this as a Best Restored Beach because it is an iconic American beach that has not only hosted millions of visitors each year, but is used in movies and television programs to exemplify the beach life,” said Lee Weishar, chair of the Best Restored Beach Committee, on the ASBPA website.

Beach restoration is defined by the ASBPA as “placing beach-quality sand on eroding beaters to reverse or offset the effects of erosion.”  This is done for three main reasons – protecting infrastructure from storms, maintaining the beach as a habitat for wildlife, and keeping the beach in shape for recreation.  The award winners were chosen based on three criteria – the short and long term success of restoration, economic and ecological benefits, and challenges overcome in the path towards beach restoration.

The other 2015 award recipients were Folly Beach, South Carolina, Galveston, Texas, and two beaches in Florida: West Destin Beach and South Hutchinson Island/St. Lucie. Along with advocating for healthy coastlines, the ASBPA offers legal help to people who are working to save local beaches.