For Immediate Release:
September 16, 2008
Further Information:
Mark Forest - 202-225-3111/774-487-2534
FEDERAL FUNDS FOR FALMOUTH BEACH NOURISHMENT APPROVED
  $ 249,845 In NOAA Funds Will Use Spoils From Dredging Woods Hole Entrance Channel

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt today announced that $249,845 in federal funding for the nourishment of Falmouth beaches has been approved by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“I am pleased to see the Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA team up with the Town of Falmouth to use the dredge material from the Woods Hole channel dredging project to nourish and replenish beaches in Falmouth”  Delahunt said today.

Over the past three years, Delahunt has been working with federal, state and local officials to secure funding for the dredging of the Woods Hole channel.  The channel is used by the Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Woods Hole Steamship Authority as well as numerous Woods Hole research vessels. With plans underway to berth the new R/V BIGELOW in Woods Hole, Delahunt asked officials to undertake new surveys to make sure the channel has sufficient depths for safe navigation.  These surveys identified shoaling in the channel and the need for new dredging this fall.

As the project was being designed, federal officials worked closely with representatives of the Town of Falmouth to identify sites for the placement of the clean dredged material.  These sites include the Menauhant barrier beach and the Bournes Pond Ecosystem.  The federal funds will be used to pay for the added costs associated with beach nourishment.  Since most federal dredging projects do not pay for local beach nourishment costs, the NOAA funds represent a significant savings for the town.

Specifically, the project proposes to protect, restore, and enhance the valuable natural ecosystem in the vicinity of Menauhant Beach through a program of dune restoration and beach nourishment. Restoration of this valuable barrier beach will enhance the health and productivity of the Menauhant barrier beach and Bournes Pond ecosystem, and will also provide a public benefit through increased access to the coastal zone and improved stewardship of coastal resources.

The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining safe navigation in over 170 ports throughout New England, including many in coastal communities throughout the Tenth Congressional District.  In recent years, Delahunt has led efforts in the House to reverse these policies and increase funding for coastal navigation improvements.

 

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