Somers Point Resiliency and Embankment Project, Somers Point, Atlantic County, New Jersey

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Somers Point Resiliency and Embankment Project, Somers Point, Atlantic County, New Jersey

The U.S. Department of the Interior's (Department) Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant Program (Program) supports projects that reduce communities' vulnerability to the growing risks from coastal storms, sea level rise, flooding, erosion, and associated threats through strengthening natural ecosystems that also benefit fish and wildlife. The Program is funded by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 and is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

On June 16, 2014, the Department announced the award of 54 grants totaling $102.75 million. In addition, the grantees committed over $55 million in additional funding and in-kind contributions, for a total conservation investment of over $158 million. Grants were awarded to projects that assess, restore, enhance, or create wetlands, beaches, and other natural systems to help better protect communities and to mitigate the impacts of future storms and naturally occurring events on fish and wildlife species and habitats. Projects are located in the region affected by Hurricane Sandy: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia. Each of these states officially declared a natural disaster as a result of the 2012 Hurricane Sandy storm event.

The Department, as lead Federal agency, and its project partner, the City of Somers Point, are proposing the Somers Point Resiliency and Embankment Project (Project), Federal Financial Assistance Grant Number, 44068. The purpose of the Project is to provide protection against flooding, wave action, and sea level rise and to enhance existing marsh habitat. Creation of the living shoreline embankment would demonstrate the beneficial reuse of dredged material and reduce tidal flooding along Somers Point-Mays Landing Road. In addition, the living shoreline embankment would create an environmental uplift by removing invasive, non-native plant species and replacing them with native pollinator species. The Project is needed to offset the continued loss of coastal land and marsh habitat and increase resiliency of coastal communities in this area to sea level rise.

Contact Information

Contact Information
Andrew Raddant
Regional Environmental Officer
Office of Environmental Policy & Compliance
617-223-8565