South Amboy gets $2.86 million to restore shoreline, protect wildlife
SOUTH AMBOY – The city will receive $2.86 million in federal money to bolster coastal resilience and protect wildlife habitats, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., announced Tuesday.
The money will be used to restore 20 acres of former industrial land along 1.5 miles of coastline and revitalize the coastal ecosystem to protect the nesting habitat for ospreys, little blue herons and snowy egrets.
The project is also designed to improve flood prevention and provide the public with safe access to the waterfront.
“It gives me great satisfaction to know that our federal partners understand and endorse our efforts to restore our waterfront," Mayor Fred Henry said in a statement. "The Raritan Bay has historically been a nexus of commerce, recreation, and beauty for many generations. Our efforts to restore a living shoreline in South Amboy would have only been a dream without the steadfast support of Congressman Pallone. We are grateful for his unstoppable support and tireless advocacy for us
The funding is distributed through the 2022 National Coastal Resilience Fund, which is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
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“I’m thrilled that South Amboy is receiving federal funding to restore its coastal ecosystem and improve flood protection," Pallone said in a statement. "Living shorelines projects are proven natural infrastructure solutions that will protect our coastal communities from the effects of climate change, including more flooding from sea level rise and stronger hurricanes. They also improve and protect wildlife habitats.”
Pallone, who may lose his position as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce next month when the GOP takes control of the House of Representatives, has advocated living shoreline projects in New Jersey which use natural materials and systems, including dunes, wetlands and oyster reefs, to support the natural flood resilience of healthy shoreline ecosystems.
Last month, Pallone wrote to the Biden Administration urging NOAA to quickly implement investments in living shoreline projects from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: South Amboy NJ gets $2.86M to restore Raritan Bay shoreline
