Dune Protections Should Extend to Entire NJ Shore

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has informed DEP that it will begin a study in October to determine if additional protective sand dunes should be built along the Jersey Shore. DEP made the request for additional study in 2015. Beaches in Belmar and Manasquan, along with a privately owned portion of Point Pleasant Beach, were exempted from a dune rule put in place under Gov. Chris Christie. That rule required dunes be built along the entire 127-mile coastline.

“When the Army Corps didn’t require rebuilding beaches north of Manasquan with dunes, we thought it was wrong and opposed that. Dunes help hold the beaches in and protect against  beach erosion. They help to protect property from storms and storm surges, and provide habitats for all types of species. Having protective dunes along the entire coast makes sense, and the Army Corps should correct its mistake and put the dunes at all of the beaches. The Army Corps should do its study, and the conclusion should be adding dunes everywhere along the coast,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “If another storm like Sandy hits, it’s dunes or doom. The damage will be much, much worse in any areas where there are no protective dunes.”

Beaches in Belmar and Manasquan were considered wide enough to forego dunes, despite severe inland damage from Sandy. In Point Pleasant Beach, Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, which owns part of the beach area, negotiated a deal to build a steel retaining wall just under the sand as an alternative to dunes. Officials in those areas opposed dune projects over concerns about lost ocean views and changes in beach characteristics.

“We have found that one of the lessons from Hurricane Sandy is natural systems like vegetative dunes and coastal marshes work much better protecting people and property than manmade, and they are better for the environment. The dunes have to be real, resilient dunes, not just piles of sand pushed together just to wash away in the next storm. Many of the areas without dunes got devastated by Sandy, but they still don’t want dunes because they’re worried about waterfront views and angry property owners,” said Tittel. “We cannot rebuild the Shore smarter and better without including strong dunes.”

In the aftermath of Sandy Gov. Christie imposed the dune rule that required dunes be constructed along nearly the entire coastline. They had to be either rebuilt where they already existed, or built from scratch where they hadn’t before. The rule has prompted dozens of lawsuits from property owners demanding compensation for lost oceanfront views.

“Dunes are an important part of reducing flooding and storm impacts, but we need a comprehensive, holistic approach that goes beyond that. We need regional planning to better control overdevelopment and stormwater management. We need to fix CAFRA rules that allow development in flood-prone areas.  We also need to re-open the Office of Climate Change. We need to restore more natural features like stream buffers and wetlands. We should also be using state-of-the-art science for mapping sea level rise so that we properly elevate structures and get people away from the water’s edge and out of harm’s way,” said Tittel.

Homeowners who own beachfront property have tried to block dunes projects and some have managed to receive compensation for the loss of their oceanfront views. Earlier this year, a court in Ocean County awarded over $590,000 by juries to owners of two homes in Point Pleasant Beach. Another couple was awarded $330,000 for the loss of beachfront property and oceanfront views.

“These property owners have been selfish caring about their views more than their property or their neighbors. If those dunes aren’t there and these houses are destroyed, they’d be the first ones running to FEMA for a bailout. We cannot allow concerns about protecting oceanfront views for property owners to prevent dunes projects that will protect entire communities. We have to extend the line of dunes protections everywhere along the shore,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.