CHATHAM – State officials with the Office of Coastal Zone Management recently announced $7.9 million in grant funding to help coastal communities proactively prepare for storms, flooding, erosion, and other issues brought on by sea level rise and extreme weather events through the Coastal Resilience Grant Program.
Funds were allocated to nineteen projects, including local projects in Barnstable, Chatham, Yarmouth, Oak Bluffs, and Nantucket.
Barnstable received $92,579 to support the Sandy Neck Beach Long-Term Coastal Resiliency Project, which will include relocating the parking lot at Sandy Neck Beach Park to an inland location to reduce flood risks.
Chatham received $94,540 to complete permitting for beach nourishment by installing temporary structures to redirect tidal currents near Stage Harbor and Morris Island.
Chatham will also receive $117,220 on behalf of the Pleasant Bay Alliance to support the Jackknife Beach Salt Marsh Restoration, which seeks to reinvigorate the fringing salt marsh that forms a living shoreline adjacent to the beach.
Yarmouth received $79,940 to create conceptual designs for projects to increase the resilience of Packet Landing Marina from storm surges.
Oak Bluffs received $169,150 to conduct a flooding and sea level rise vulnerability analysis of several key transportation routes to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Nantucket received $421,875 to create designs for the installation of flood barriers in Nantucket’s Historic Downtown Gateway and accompanying protective efforts such as roadway elevation.
“In close collaboration with our local and regional partners, CZM is dedicated to developing proactive and effective coastal resilience solutions,” said Lisa Berry Engler, Director of the Office of Coastal Zone Management.
“The Coastal Resilience Program has been tremendously successful in making these solutions a reality, and we congratulate this year’s grant recipients for another round of impressive projects,” she said.
The Office of Coastal Zone Management has invested over $45.7 million to 219 Coastal Resilience Grant projects since 2014.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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