Legislators thanked for preservation of fund

The Jersey Shore Partnership, on behalf of everyone who enjoys the shore, thanks the legislators who helped preserve the annual $25 million stable source of funding for shore protection and beach renourishment.

The Partnership understands the tight fiscal times everyone is facing, but New Jersey has become a leader in shore protection. To take money each year from beach renourishment projects to maintain our state parks as had been proposed, would have adversely impacted our 127-mile coastline and cost the state millions in lost tourism dollars and taxes. The state money needs to be available when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is ready to move on a project, or we lose the federal funding and our beaches suffer irreparable harm.

The amended bill signed by Governor Corzine allows borrowing up to $9 million from the Shore Protection Fund for the parks in FY 2009 only. The name of the fund remains "The Shore Protection Fund" and the fund will not be tapped in future years for projects unrelated to shore protection.

The Partnership particularly thanks key legislators who opposed the original proposal: Sen. Jeff Van Drew for sponsoring the compromise legislation; Sen. Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. for his testimony for the legislative committees; members of the legislature from Districts 2, 9, 10, 11, and 13 including Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon and Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini who sent letters to the committees; and shore mayors who voiced their concern about the potential loss of funds for continued shore protection.

Without the 1992 Shore Protection Fund which so many fought to obtain, we would not have our beautiful beaches or the economic revitalization along the coast. This is an ongoing effort that needs to be sustained.
Jack Rosenfeld
Chairman
The Jersey Shore
Partnership
Red Bank