The American Coastal Coalition has warned mayors and administrators in the state’s coastal areas of significant cuts to federal beach replenishment funding.
In a letter dated June 4, the coalition said: “The administration zeroed out all beach nourishment funding in the FY25 federal budget, meaning no New Jersey beach nourishment projects will be completed this upcoming winter despite scheduled nourishments for both Ocean City and Stone Harbor/Avalon.” Cape May City also has a scheduled project that would have been eligible for replenishment funding.
The American Coastal Coalition is a national organization focused on the well-being of coastal communities and beaches. It is an advocacy nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.
The coalition wrote a letter to the House and Senate appropriations committees on May 30 urging the insertion of $200 million in the fiscal 2026 budget for Army Corps of Engineers’ beach projects. According to the coalition, funding for these projects was not part of the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2025.
Beach replenishment projects are typically funded with 65% federal dollars, while the remaining 35% comes from state and local sources – three-quarters of which are paid by the state.
Avalon Administrator Scott Wahl informed the Borough Council at its June 11 meeting that state policy does not permit a state contribution in the absence of a federal share. Without federal dollars, shore resort communities could be faced with the total cost of a hydraulic beach fill, which is generally out of reach for municipal budgets.
In Stone Harbor and Avalon, the Army Corps’ most recent beach replenishment project was in 2023. The most recent Cape Island nourishment took place in November and December 2023. Ocean City, north of 34th Street, was last nourished between October 2022 and February 2023.
The Corps’ Philadelphia office says the beaches are eligible for periodic nourishment in fiscal 2025, pending funding. Southern Ocean City, Strathmere and Sea Isle have staggered treatments. Southern Ocean City beaches were completed in December 2023, Upper Township/Strathmere in January 2024, and Sea Isle beaches in June 2024.
A major project for the Wildwoods is still in the land acquisition and funding phase.
Beach replenishments have long been controversial, with critics calling them an ongoing burden on taxpayers. Supporters argue that the projects build up the safety and sustainability of coastal communities. A growing backlog of beach projects due to the absence of federal funding increases risks to population and property. It also endangers a major element of the state economy.
Wahl called the lack of federal funding for beach fill projects “not only unusual but alarming.” He pointed to the many ways in which “sand on the beach” contributes revenue to federal, state and local governments through tourism, real estate transfer fees, employment, business development and ratables growth.
He also noted that beaches and dunes serve a valuable public safety function while providing fuel for an economic engine that produces revenue for the federal government. “Sand on the beach is not an expense, but an investment that provides its rewards at all government levels,” he added.
Stone Harbor Mayor Tim Carney joined the coalition in urging Congress “to prioritize this critical investment in FY26.” Carney added that such an effort is the way the federal government ensures “the safety and sustainability of America’s coastal communities.” The beaches, he said, must remain “protected, safe and accessible for all to enjoy.”
Dan Ginolfi, senior vice president at Warwick Group Consultants, a group that works with the county communities to get the ban on sand from Hereford Inlet reversed, said this is a very rare event. Ginolfi said the Warwick Group has tracked coastal funding from the Army Corps for 29 years, and this is “the first time there has been zero funding to put sand on beaches.”
He said the Warwick Group has a contract with Avalon and will be submitting requests for federal earmark funding through Rep. Jeff Van Drew if there is a shortfall.
Ginolfi said that this period, as the annual storm season begins, is a time to emphasize how important America’s beaches are to “local and state economies” and “in protecting life and property from coastal storms and flooding.”
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
