News
Shrinking Beaches Spur Call For Sand In Sea Bright
By Ryan Fennell
SEA BRIGHT - Last month's Veteran's Day storm had a significant impact on New Jersey's shoreline, damaging structures and eroding many of the beaches, including some in Sea Bright.
Reacting to the damage caused by that storm, U.S. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) wrote to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General Robert Van Antwerp Jr. on Nov. 24, requesting that the Corps perform a full assessment of the damage done to coastal projects.
"Once the data is compiled I encourage the Army Corp of Engineers to re-evaluate its current budget priorities to ensure that New Jersey's coastal areas are not susceptible to major storm damage," the letter reads.
"Due to the severity of the damage (already sustained) I encourage the Army Corp of Engineers to use all of its budget tools to provide funding for areas in need including recently allocated Recovery Act funding," Pallone wrote.
According to Sea Bright Mayor Maria Fernandes, who obtained a copy of Pallone's letter, the last beach replenishment Sea Bright received was in 1996.
Sea Bright beaches have not received sand replenishment in over 15 years, Sea Bright Councilman C. Read Murphy noted, adding that the North Beach section of town did not sustain very much damage from the previous storm because of the sand dunes and dune grasses that were previously installed.
Murphy said that although wind speeds have not been as fierce as those experienced in 1992, there have been consistent Northeast winds since September that have significantly contributed to the loss of beach sand on the borough's beaches.
Murphy noted that replenishments were supposed to take place every seven years but since the Borough did not need replenishment in the last round, no one knows when Sea Bright is due to receive more sand.
Fernandes said that when she spoke with Pallone recently, it was unclear what the next step would be for beach replenishment.
"We don't care how you do it, but we need sand," Fernandes said.
