South Amboy will receive $2,869,668 to bolster coastal resilience and protect wildlife habitats through the 2022 National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), which is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).
This award included funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The City of South Amboy will use the federal money to restore 20 acres of former industrial land along 1.5 miles of coastline through marsh and living shoreline construction to enhance nesting habitat for osprey, little blue herons, and snowy egrets.
“It gives me great satisfaction to know that our federal partners understand and endorse our efforts to restore our waterfront. The Raritan Bay has historically been a nexus of commerce, recreation, and beauty for many generations,” said Mayor Fred Henry.
The project will revitalize the coastal ecosystem to improve resilience to flood hazards and provide the community with safe access to the waterfront.
Living shorelines projects are proven natural infrastructure solutions that will protect our coastal communities from the effects of climate change, including more flooding from sea level rise and stronger hurricanes. They also improve and protect wildlife habitats.
Since Superstorm Sandy, New Jersey has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to make our state more resilient against the effects of climate change, and this funding is another step in the right direction to build on this progress.