In Wake Of Severe Erosion At Fire Island Caused By This Week's Nor'easter, Schumer Announces $2.5 Million For Fire Island To Montauk Reformulation Project
Funding Will Help Replenish Fire Island Shoreline that Suffered Extensive Erosion due to Nor'Easter, Jeopardizing Pristine Beaches and Beachfront Property
Senator Aggressively Lobbied the Corps to draft Work Plan that Protected Funding for this Vital Project
Schumer: Fire Island to Montauk Reformulation Vitally Important to the Community and Economic Health on South Shore of
In the wake of Fire Island suffering severe beach erosion caused by last week's nor'easter, today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Army Corp of Engineers Fiscal Year 2007 work plan includes $2.5 million in funding for the Fire Island to Montauk Reformulation Project. The money, included in the Fiscal Year 2007 Army Corp of Engineers Work Plan, is crucial to funding beach erosion control and hurricane protection for the south shore of Long Island between Fire Island Inlet and Montauk Point.
"We recently witnessed the devastating damage a powerful storm can cause to Fire Island's coastline," said Senator Schumer. "This is why the Fire Island to Montauk Point Reformulation Project is now more essential than ever. It both protects Long Island's South Shore from beach erosion and guards against potential storm damage like the kind we witnessed last week."
The goal of the reformulation project is to provide hurricane protection and beach erosion control along five reaches of the south shore of Long Island, a distance of approximately 83 miles which comprises about 70 percent of the total ocean frontage of Long Island. The authorized project includes widening of the beaches along the developed areas between Kismet and Mecox Bay and the raising of dunes from Fire Island Inlet to Hither Hills State Park. At Montauk and opposite Lake Montauk Harbor, the placement by artificial placement of suitable sand; grass planting of the dunes and interior drainage structures at Mecox Bay, Sagaponack Lake and Georgica Pond. The project also authorizes federal participation in periodic nourishment of the landscape.
Since the federal budget was not passed on time for FY 07, congress was forced to pass a Continuing Resolution to fund the Army Corps of Engineers at FY 06 levels. With high profile projects like the dredging of the south shore between Fire Island Inlet and Montauk Point in jeopardy, Schumer aggressively lobbied appropriators and the Corps to draft a work plan that protected funding for this vital project Schumer has long been an advocate for comprehensive beach erosion protection and a promoter of navigable channels. He has championed, along with fellow delegation members, funding for the Army Corps' Fire Island to Montauk Reformulation Study. He also recently worked with the ACOE to reprogram funding to expedite dredging of the East Rockaway Inlet after a barge carrying home heating oil ran aground in November, 2006. Dredging has been completed, thereby ensuring that home heating oil will be available for the rest of the winter.
