WARWICK GROUP SECURES $33.24 MILLION FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN THE FY23 ARMY CORPS WORK PLAN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C., February 27, 2023 - Warwick Group Consultants, the nation’s leading coastal advocacy firm, has secured $33.24 million in funding in the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) FY23 Work Plan. This funding will support three East Coast communities seeking assistance with beach renourishment and coastal erosion including:
· $32,000,000 for Long Beach Township, NJ for beach renourishment
· $240,000 to explore alternatives to reduce erosion on Plum Island, MA
· $1,000,000 on behalf of the Borough of Avalon, NJ for the Corps of Engineers to study an alternative borrow site for beach nourishment
Funding will be used to cover the federal share of the beach nourishment project for Long beach island, NJ. This is the 3rd periodic nourishment for Long Beach Township, which welcomes millions of visitors to their beaches every summer, generating tens of million in federal and state tax revenue. This critical funding ensures that the island’s federally authorized beach renourishment project will continue to protect their coastline, community, and residents against coastal storms and flooding.
Plum Island’s northern tip, situated at the mouth of the Merrimack River, has been susceptible to severe coastal erosion. This funding is a crucial step to identifying methods that address and mitigate erosion on Plum Island’s coastline.
The Borough of Avalon’s federal beach project was impacted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s interpretation of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, which denied the use of Hereford Inlet for beach nourishment with federal funds despite several previous uses. This resulted in the Boroughs of Avalon and Stone Harbor, as well as the State of New Jersey, paying an additional $7m in state and local funds to complete the project. This funding will support the Borough’s efforts in identifying a new borrow site for the southern reach of their project to circumvent the USFWS.
Founded in 1986, Warwick Group Consultants is the nation’s leading coastal advocacy firm, helping coastal communities and nonprofit organizations secure federal policies and funding to address erosion, sea level rise, and climate change.
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