Menendez, Lautenberg Announce More Than $2.7 Million For North Wildwood Beach Replenishment

NEWARK – U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced North Wildwood was awarded $2,784,012 in federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for beach replenishment in response to severe coastal flooding caused by a massive storm that slammed New Jersey in March. The funding will be used to replace sand and protect coastal infrastructure.
“Protecting our shore means protecting the livelihood and property of families in coastal communities like North Wildwood, and it means protecting our state’s economy and environment,” Menendez said. “This funding will help North Wildwood families fully recover from the effects of storms that affected the area last March by restoring the area’s shores and establishing soil protection measures to safeguard them. This is not only important for the economic security of families in the area, it is also crucial to preserve the Jersey Shore and its ecosystem.”
“This federal funding will help replenish North Wildwood beaches and offset costs so that local taxpayers are not stuck with the bill to clean up after this year’s storms,” said Lautenberg, who is Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds this program. “Repairing damaged beaches will help our coastal economy stay strong and ensure that the shore remains a popular destination for families to live and visit.”
The funding is being released by FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to reimburse North Wildwood for up to 75 percent of the costs associated with this beach replenishment project. This federal program provides funding to local and state governments to repair and rebuild infrastructure damaged by a storm that receives a Federal Disaster Declaration. Senators Lautenberg and Menendez wrote to President Obama requesting the Administration declare the March storm a Federal Disaster and the President made the declaration shortly after.
Senator Lautenberg is the Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds FEMA.