FONSI Creating a Resilient Delaware Bay Shoreline in Cape May and Cumberland Counties, 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 partners including the American Littoral Society and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are proposing the Creating a Resilient Delaware Bay Shoreline in Cape May and Cumberland Counties (NJ) Project, Federal Financial Assistance Grant Number: 43429. The purpose of the project is the implementation of a saltmarsh restoration project adjacent to the once impounded Thompsons Beach in Maurice River Township to improve the resiliency and habitat value of the Thompsons Beach Marsh. In addition, a conceptual restoration plan for the mouth of the Maurice River would be developed as part of the grant Project, which would consist of an analysis of existing data to create a conceptual restoration plan that could eventually be implemented.

 
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