Dear Editor:

The Jersey Shore Partnership, on behalf of everyone in New Jersey 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 need to keep our state parks open and the tight fiscal times that 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. If the state money is not available when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is ready to move on a replenishment project, New Jersey would lose the federal funding and our beaches would suffer irreparable harm.

The amended bill signed by Governor Corzine on June 30 allows borrowing of 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.” These amendments were introduced as a compromise measure with the understanding that the fund will not be tapped in future years for projects unrelated to shore protection.

The Partnership particularly thanks key legislators who opposed the bill: 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 Angeline 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 Shore Protection Fund created by the Legislature in 1992, which so many fought to obtain, we would not have our beautiful and healthy beaches and we would not have the economic revitalization that has taken place along the coast. This is an ongoing effort that needs to be sustained.

Sincerely,


Jack Rosenfeld
Chairman