AVALON – The struggle for the right to use Hereford Inlet sand for beach replenishments continues.
Avalon Business Administrator Scott Wahl reported to Borough Council Dec. 15 on a “good meeting” with the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Assistant Secretary Shannon Estenoz. According to Wahl, the virtual meeting Dec. 1 had Estenoz fully “engaged and interested.”
Avalon, Stone Harbor, and North Wildwood have been fighting an interpretation of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service that bars the use of federal funds for mining sand from Hereford Inlet in support of beach replenishments.
Dr. Stewart Farrell, of Stockton University’s Coastal Research Center, and Princeton Attorney Neil Yoskin helped make the case for the use of the sand.
“Never once during the meeting did the assistant secretary express a reason why we could not do this,” Wahl said.
Time is of the essence since a federally funded beach replenishment is scheduled for 2022. As of the time this was written, the sand is still unavailable, according to a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
