GL: $989,000 for the dredging of the New Jersey Intercoastal Waterway;

[Ralph Yost]

  For Immediate Release:
December 17, 2007  CONTACT:  Jason Galanes
(202) 225-6572  
  
 LoBiondo Secures More Than $14 Million for 2nd District Beach
Replenishment & Construction Projects 

Ocean City Renourishment, North Wildwood Seawall Construction, Oyster
Revitalization Project Receive Funding

 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02)
announced today that the Congress is set to approve a massive spending
bill containing $14,235,000 in federal funding for local beach
replenishment and construction projects in New Jersey's 2nd District.
The final vote will occur later this week.
"This is certainly great news during this holiday season for many of our
coastal communities, including Ocean City," said LoBiondo. "This funding
represents a continued commitment by the federal government to enhance
the economic strengths of southern New Jersey, and will continue to
bolster the local economies of our coastal communities. I appreciate
Senator Lautenberg's leadership and will continue to work for additional
funding for these critical projects."

Within the massive appropriations bill is $2,808,000 for beach
renourishment in Ocean City. Other local projects funded include:

.        $4,785,000 for environmental restoration at The Lower Cape May
Meadows project.  It is approximately 350 acres, containing the Cape May
Point State Park and the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge.  The project is
designed to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitats in the area,
and to reduce hurricane and storm damage to the beaches;

.        $4,779,000 for the Townsends Inlet to Cape May Inlet project -
to finish initial construction of a sea wall in North Wildwood, N.J. and
to  study if the back-passing of sand in Stone Harbor and Avalon is
feasible;

.        $989,000 for the dredging of the New Jersey Intercoastal
Waterway;

.        $877,000 for the ongoing construction of beach renourishment
project in Atlantic City and Ventnor;

.        $770,000 for the ongoing oyster revitalization project
conducted by Rutgers University's Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory
in conjunction with the Delaware River Basin Commission.  The Delaware
Bay project is rebuilding oyster reefs by using discarded shells to
provide an inviting habitat for oyster larvae, thus improving their
survival rates;

.        $414,000 for the Cold Spring Inlet dredging project;

.        $252,000 for the Hereford Inlet to Cape May Inlet project - to
complete a feasibility study of a shore protection project for North
Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, N.J.;

.        $245,000 for the Cape May Inlet to Lower Township project - to
conduct ongoing monitoring of the shore protection project in Cape May,
N.J.;
 

.        $133,000 for dredging of the Absecon Inlet;

.        $123,000 for an ongoing study to determine the feasibility of
sites for the beneficial reuse of dredged materials;

.        $107,000 for the Alternative Long Term Nourishment study - to
conduct a feasibility study on the long term management of New Jersey
beach renourishment projects; and,

.        $75,000 for the monitoring of beach erosion in Brigantine.

This funding is included in the House-Senate conference report for the
remaining 11 of 12 annual appropriations that were combined this week in
an omnibus package. The House and Senate are expected to vote on the
massive spending bill later this week, sending the measure to President
Bush for his signature.


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