Grant Funds Living Shoreline Project On Long Beach Island

LONG BEACH TWP., NJ — A $345,800 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will fund the final design of a back bay salt marsh restoration and living shoreline project in Long Beach Township, the Department of Environmental Protection announced.

The funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund have brought federal funding for communities participating in the state’s Resilient NJ program to $26.5 million since 2021, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said.

“New Jersey is grateful for this grant funding available through the widely successful National Coastal Resilience Fund,” LaTourette said. “These local projects will build upon the Murphy Administration’s multi-faceted approach to enhancing climate resilience statewide through regulatory solutions and strategic planning. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to climate resilience, the continued support and commitment of our federal and local partners to address important climate concerns puts us on a firm path to strengthen community infrastructure and the economy while safeguarding property and enhancing our environment.”

The grant, coupled with $37,800 in local matching funds, will develop the final design for a back bay salt marsh restoration and living shoreline project that will reduce flooding to critical municipal facilities and improve public access, the DEP said.

The project will restore and expand the existing tidal salt marsh by creating a marsh sill, which is a type of living shoreline that involves placing hard structural components, such as stones, along the shoreline to absorb wave energy, reducing the rate of erosion of the marsh behind it.