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I would like to bring you up to date on our efforts to address the beach erosion problem that resulted from a powerful storm that struck the Pines prior to Christmas last year.
Our beach is controlled by the federal government, and specifically the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Under the terms of the 2018 beach project (known as FIMI), Fire Island’s beaches are entitled to replenishment projects every approximately five years if the Corps determines that replenishment is warranted. There are enormous bureaucratic hurdles that make us question whether the federal government and the state and local sponsors will live up to that agreement without significant delays.
As we push for the regular replenishments to which our community is entitled, we have been focused on a parallel track as well, attempting to persuade the Corps to make an emergency repair of our beach this year due to the Christmas storm. The agency is scheduled to commence a long-planned emergency repair project on the island’s west end this fall, and we would like the Corps to add our community to that project while they are on Fire Island.
It has been an uphill battle, as the bar is extremely high to warrant an emergency declaration. This week we were dealt a setback in our efforts, followed by slightly better news, which I will detail below. Regardless of how this turns out, I would like the community to be aware of the situation at each step of the way.
On December 28th of last year, I sent a note to the community stating that FIPPOA was working directly with Suffolk County (currently our local sponsor) to procure new beach surveys to document the storm’s erosion, and to compare the condition of the beach and dune to the baseline standards from both the 2018 project and the most recent readings compiled not long before the Christmas storm.
On February 18th, I sent an update informing you that Suffolk County had completed the surveys and had sent them to the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), currently our state sponsor, which in turn requested that the Corps determine if emergency repairs in the Pines were warranted. As I wrote to you in a subsequent update, we scheduled a meeting with Suffolk County to discuss our need for emergency repairs.
I was informed at the meeting, which took place last Thursday, April 27th, that the Corps had determined that the erosion we suffered in the winter did not meet their threshold for an “extraordinary storm event.” It was a troubling conclusion, as anyone who viewed our beach in the storm’s aftermath could attest to the vast damage it incurred.
After conferring with Suffolk County officials, they agreed to appeal the decision to the Corps. Yesterday, I was informed that the Corps has agreed to reconsider their decision. It is unusual for the agency to reconsider an initial determination, and I want to thank our friends and supporters at the county for advocating for us. I do not want to raise expectations that the agency will reverse its decision, but we will do everything we can to change their minds.
Should we lose this round, we will redouble our efforts to keep the Corps on schedule for a semi-regular beach replenishment that is our right. I will keep you informed of all developments along the way.
Henry
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