Shore Protection and Beach Replenishement Project
The federal budget proposal for 2008 reportedly contains no money for LBI shore protection. This means that any our representatives in Congress must fight for the money. The Board of Commissioners in Long Beach Township passed a resolution at its last meeting renewing a contract with a lobbying firm, Winning Strategies, which lobbies for shore protection. The cost is shared by Long Beach Township, the Boroughs of Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Ship Bottom, Surf City and Barnegat Light each paying its proportionate share based on beach frontage. In a recent article published in the SandPaper (02/07/07), Long Beach Township reportedly pays 53 % as it has the largest beach frontage on all of the municipalities covering 12 of the 18 miles of LBI. The cost for all municipalities was reported to be $60,000 per year.
Meanwhile, the LBI Beach Replenishment Project is at a standstill for now and its future uncertain on the island. Long Beach Township is still short on easements. Beach Haven Borough reports that while still short it is optimistic that it will have the number of easements necessary for the project to begin there next November. Public access and public accommodation issues i.e., available restroom facilities are not as problematic for Beach Haven as in other island municipalities given Beach Haven's size, 1.9 miles, and the availability of public restroom facilities and access to beaches.
Is it me or does this seem a bit ironic? - paying to lobby for federal funding for shore protection and yet possibly losing federal funding for beach replenishment project...