There is a bill in the NJ Legislature that would double the amount of money that would go to beach replenishment from $25 million to $50 million. This money comes from the Realty Transfer Taxes. Please take a minute and email your state officials by clicking this Action Alert here.
Beach replenishment is a divisive issue. It's expensive and often amounts to merely a temporary fix and causes many issues along our shoreline. Among them are creating dangerous beaches where more people are being injured right after the replenishment, poor quality sand, and destruction or covering of fishing and surfing resources like sandbars and rock groins. Beach access issues have been made worse in recent years by beach replenishment as well. And finally, the Corps refuses to test the sand for toxins even if the borrow areas are suspect and close to old dumping sites.
Senate bill S-311, and Assembly bill A-2954 doubles the amount the State of NJ puts into the "Shore Protection Fund" each year. We would much rather see a coordinated effort to fix the existing problems with beach replenishment before giving this fund more money. We'd also like to see some of the Shore Protection Fund spent on buying out flood prone properties or relocating such properties. They are proposing that on Long Island, why not here?
This is your chance to say that we don't need to double State funds going to beach replenishment every year when it could go to more useful areas. Click on this Action Alert Link to send emails to your representatives in the State Legislature. 