Avalon Asks Feds for Dedicated Beach Funds

AVALON – Avalon officials held a meeting with representatives from Vice President Joe Biden’s office on Thursday, July 23 inside the War Room of the Eisenhower Building, next to the White House.
“I am very appreciative of the Vice President’s office for giving us a full hour to explain the need for a brand new, federal approach to beach nourishment and beach funding issues,” said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi.
“Avalon was able to initiate major progress towards this goal.”
Evan Ryan, director of Intergovernmental Relations for the Vice President, and Terrell McSeveney, the Vice President’s Domestic Policy Advisor, hosted the meeting. Representing Avalon were Harry DeButts, Deputy Senior Emergency Manager, and Scott Wahl, Public Information Officer.
Also attending the meeting were Mayor Harry Simmons of Caswell Beach, North Carolina who is also the President of the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association; Tony Pratt, Shoreline Administrator for the State of Delaware; Howard Marlowe, ASBPA Government Affairs Representative; and Daniel Sheehan, ASBPA Government Affairs Representative.
A request was made during the meeting for Vice President Joe Biden to take a leadership role regarding beach protection projects in the United States. Biden is from the coastal state of Delaware and has championed various beach nourishment efforts in his home state.
McSeveney promised that the Vice President’s top staff will discuss the request and possibly set up a larger meeting later this year that may include the Vice President and the federal government’s Office of Management and Budget.
The conversation touched on several issues that are important to Avalon and ASBPA. Experts shared their vision on a plan that would implement and manage beach and other water resource projects using a systematic approach.
Discussion also included providing incentives to local governments to adopt sensible land-use restrictions that will encourage sound building and zoning codes, as well as examining the way the United States Army Corps of Engineers is funded for coastal protection projects.
“The beach is our business, our livelihood,” Pagliughi said. “The federal government needs to realize some very important facts. Fifty-five percent of all Americans live within 50 miles of our coastline. Studies clearly show that for every one federal dollar spent on a beach nourishment project, the return is four dollars in storm damage reduction benefits.
“Beaches not only drive our economy, but also provide the first line of defense against coastal storms. The federal government remains the biggest economic beneficiary of beach nourishment projects, collecting $300 billion in direct and indirect benefits from our nation’s beaches.”
Studies also show that the federal government benefits from money invested in our country’s beaches. $51 billion in federal tax dollars are generated each year from beach communities in our country. Eighty-five percent of tourism revenue in the United States comes from beach communities.
“In one way or another, every single job in Cape May County is tied directly or indirectly to our beaches,” Pagliughi said.
“That’s why we fought so vehemently against Gov. Jon Corzine’s cuts to the state’s protection fund. We need to do better, and we can in all levels of government. The days of scrambling to find some money to throw at beach projects each and every year need to end, and all levels of government need a comprehensive plan, and commitment, to nourish our beaches.”