American Littoral Society

RESTORING WRECK POND INLET AND DUNE IN SEA GIRT AND SPRING LAKE, MONMOUTH CO.;NJ

INCREASE RESILIENCE OF BEACH HABITAT AT PIERCE'S POINT, REEDS BEACH, AND MOORE'S BEACH, NJ; HURRICANE SANDY DISASTER RELIEF

MONITORING OF THE RESTORING WRECK POND

PROMOTING THE RESURGENCE OF THE NEW JERSEY OYSTER THROUGH SHELL RECYCLING

JAMAICA BAY MARINE DEBRIS REMOVAL AND DATA-DRIVEN PREVENTION PILOT PROJECT

JAMAICA BAY CLEAN SWEEP

WRECK POND TRIBUTARIES FISH PASSAGE AND ASSESSMENT

BARNEGAT BAY SHORELINE PROTECTION

AMERICAN LITTORAL SOCIETY WILL EXPAND ITS COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING TO PROVIDE FIELD-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO AN ADDITIONAL 4

ASSIST THE AMERICAN LITTORAL SOCIETY TO INSTALL A 60' LONG STRAIGHT RUN, ALASKA STEEPPASS FISHWAY AT THE OLD MILL POND DAM, WALL NJ, TO IMPROVE AQUATIC ORGANISM PASSAGE FOR ALOSINES AND OTHER MIGRATORY SPECIES.

THE AMERICAN LITTORAL SOCIETY RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS $23,701.30 FROM THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO SUPPORT ADVANCINGINTERTIDAL REEF DESIGN TECHNIQUES IN DELAWARE BAY: SUSTAINING CRITICAL HORSESHOE CRAB AND SHOREBIRD HABITAT, A PROJECT THATWILL RESTORE AND PROTECT CRITICAL BEACH HABITAT AT DYER COVE IN DOWNE TOWNSHIP THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELEVATED INTERTIDALREEF.THE SOCIETY HAS ALREADY SECURED FUNDING THROUGH THE RESTORE AMERICA S ESTUARIES NEP WATERSHED GRANT TO CONTINUE HABITATRESTORATION WORK ALONG THE DELAWARE BAYSHORE, INCLUDING AT DYER COVE AND THOMPSON S BEACH. HOWEVER, SINCE THE ORIGINALPROJECT BUDGET WAS DEVELOPED, CONTRACTOR, MATERIAL TRANSPORTATION, STAGING, AND ENGINEERING COSTS HAVE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.AS A RESULT, THE DYER COVE PORTION OF THE PROJECT IS AT RISK OF BEING SCALED BACK. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFESERVICE WOULD CLOSE THIS FUNDING GAP AND ALLOW THE SOCIETY AND ITS PARTNERS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE DYER COVE REEF AS INTENDED.DELAWARE BAY IS ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE ESTUARIES IN NORTH AMERICA AND PROVIDES GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT HABITAT FOR HORSESHOECRABS AND MIGRATORY SHOREBIRDS, INCLUDING THE FEDERALLY THREATENED RUFA RED KNOT. ITS TIDAL MARSHES, BEACHES, AND NEARSHOREHABITATS ALSO SERVE AS IMPORTANT NURSERY AREAS FOR MID-ATLANTIC FISHERIES AND HELP BUFFER COASTAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE INCREASINGLYVULNERABLE TO SEA LEVEL RISE, STORM SURGE, AND SHORELINE EROSION.FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE SOCIETY AND ITS PARTNERS HAVE WORKED TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NATURE-BASED APPROACHES TORESTORING DELAWARE BAY BEACHES FOR HORSESHOE CRABS AND SHOREBIRDS. THIS PROJECT BUILDS DIRECTLY ON THAT EXPERIENCE BY ADDING UPTO 1,500 SHELL BAGS AND OR OTHER SHELL CONTAINMENT MATERIALS TO THE PREVIOUSLY PERMITTED REEF FOOTPRINT AT DYER COVE. THE REEF WILLCONSIST OF TWO ROWS RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE SHORELINE, CONSTRUCTED WITH SHELL-FILLED BAGS AND POTENTIALLY OTHER INNOVATIVE REEFMATERIALS USING WHELK, OYSTER, AND OR CLAM SHELL. A PORTION OF THE PROJECT WILL ALSO TEST BIODEGRADABLE SHELL BAG MATERIALS TO BETTERUNDERSTAND THEIR DURABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN DELAWARE BAY CONDITIONS.BY INCREASING THE ELEVATION OF THE EXISTING REEF FOOTPRINT, WE EXPECT TO FURTHER REDUCE WAVE ENERGY, CREATE CALMER CONDITIONSSHOREWARD OF THE REEF, REDUCE EROSION, IMPROVE SAND RESIDENCE TIME, AND BETTER SUSTAIN SPAWNING AND FORAGING HABITAT FORHORSESHOE CRABS AND MIGRATORY SHOREBIRDS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE VALUABLE LESSONS ON THE USE OF PLASTIC-ALTERNATIVEMATERIALS IN REEF AND SHORELINE RESTORATION, SUPPORTING FUTURE NATURE-BASED RESTORATION EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

F19AC00078