Shore Protection Fund Hike Urged

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SEA BRIGHT ­– More money is needed for coastal protection projects, believes the Jersey Shore Partnership, which is supporting legislation to support that work.
“Now is the time for us to recognize we have to be ahead of the game and have to be proactive,” said Margot Walsh, the partnership’s executive director.
The partnership along with the Eastern Monmouth County Chamber of Commerce are throwing their support behind identical bills currently in committee in both chambers of the Legislature that would increase the funding levels in the Shore Protection Fund from the current $25 million to $50 million. The organizations have scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, Aug. 4 at the Sea Bright Public Beach to express support for the pending legislation. The bills’ sponsors Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R-13), Assembly members Mary Pat Angelini (R-11) and David Wolfe (R-10) are expected to join others attend the press conference, according to Walsh.
The Shore Protection Fund was first established in 1992, allowing the state to partner with the federal government, primarily for beach replenishment projects. The ongoing formula has the state contribute 35 percent toward projects, using the available annual $25 million and the federal government responsible for the remaining 65 percent.
The state money is collected through the realty transfer fee imposed on the recording of deeds transferring real property and is calculated based upon the amount paid in the deed. The basic rate is $1.75 for each $500 of consideration. The county gets 75 cents of it while the state receives the remaining $1.25, according to the proposed legislation.
The Senate bill is currently in that chamber’s Environmental and Energy Committee, while in the Assembly it is in the Environmental and Solid Waste Committee. Walsh said, “We are meeting regularly with the legislators,” hoping to move the bills for ward.
The existing formula has worked well for New Jersey in the past, Walsh observed. But with the impact of Super Storm Sandy still reverberating, there is a need for more resources for future projects, she stressed.
“We’re going to have more frequent Sandy-like storms of greater intensity,” in the future, Walsh predicted. And dealing with it and preparing for it, she continued, “It becomes more complex, more expensive and more education has to be put in to finding the best way for building a more resilient coastline.”
The Eastern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce has decided to join the partnership in supporting this effort given “We made a conscious effort to get more involved in community issues in this area,” this being one among several others, said Lynda Rose, president and chief operating officer for the chamber.
There is a connection among the beaches and quality of life in the region and the business community, Rose believed. “What if the beaches shrank? What if we didn’t have any beaches?” she asked. Answering her own question, Rose noted without that protective barrier, storms would continue to devastate the area, destroying homes and businesses. And in the very least “people would stop coming here,” to the shore area without that attraction, he added.
“This is local support for a very good cause,” Rose said.
The Jersey Shore Partnership, headquartered in Red Bank, is a non-profit advocacy organization established in 1991 and works on shore protection initiatives.
The Eastern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, also with offices in Red Bank, is a business advocacy group that assists its members in not only being successful but contributing members of the community, according to the organization’s mission statement.