"A wave of relief is crashing over Fire Island: The state just approved a $1.7 billion budget to make sure New Yorkers' favorite summer escape doesn't slip beneath the surf. The barrier island, a 32-mile-long ribbon of sand that draws more than 2 million visitors each year, has been shrinking fast. In recent winters, nor'easters chewed away so much shoreline that high tides lapped frighteningly close to houses in the Pines and Cherry Grove. For locals and weekenders alike, it felt like paradise was one storm away from being swallowed whole."
"That's where the new funding comes in. Backed by Albany and paired with federal dollars, the project bankrolls the Army Corps of Engineers to pump millions of cubic yards of fresh sand onto the beaches, rebuild dunes and shore up access points. The work is part of a decades-long effort to fight erosion, but this round promises stability through at least 2050."
"'It's a totally, completely, 100% different experience this summer,' children's book author and homeowner Bill Doyle told Gothamist. 'There was real danger there that people were going to lose their houses and access to the beach.' If you've visited recently, you may have spotted dredging barges anchored offshore, ferrying sand back onto stretches that had been whittled to nothing more than a sliver. Some areas, like the Pines, are now wide enough to resemble a football field-luxury real estate, beach-towel edition."
A $1.7 billion state budget, paired with federal funds, will finance large-scale beach nourishment on Fire Island to combat decades-long erosion. The plan funds the Army Corps of Engineers to pump millions of cubic yards of sand, rebuild dunes, and shore up beach access points. Recent nor'easters drastically narrowed shorelines, bringing high tides close to homes in communities like the Pines and Cherry Grove. Dredging barges are actively returning sand to depleted stretches, producing much wider beaches. Experts warn replenishment is not permanent and raise questions about long-term viability and funding responsibility.
Read at Time Out New York
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