The cavalry is here with beach replenishment

The $52 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers federal replenishment project, that began last February, has been partially completed on Davis Park right now. “They’re on the western part doing Cherry Grove and Ocean Bay Park and then Davis Park for the dunes,” said councilman Neil Foley. “They have to be finished by March, the endangered piping plover nesting season.”

Foley, whose district includes Davis Park, the Pines, Cherry Grove, Water Island, Point O’Woods, Ocean Bay Park and part of Seaview, has worked to broker funding with the federal government, with town, county and state involvement. 

“The dredging started in November of 2024 from Davis Park to Ocean Bay Park,” said Foley. “The U.S. Army Corps is doing it. It goes back one year this month when Fire Island was hit with storms that eroded the beach. We were one storm away from losing at least a dozen homes on Fire Island Pines. Once the storms hit, the town partnered with the state, county and town.”

Brookhaven Town pitched in $500,000 to purchase sand for the sandbags from Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Houston, Texas, last February; the company was ultimately awarded the $52 million contract in August 2024 to also dredge.

“The town put sandbags in grids along eastern Fire Island; then the beach replenishment started. Once they do beach replenishment, it takes seven days to build up dunes in each community,” Foley said.

“I’m the first line of government, and we got [the] ball rolling with traffic and different levels of government, calling every day. It’s not easy. But I was going to make sure this would get done and all levels worked together.”

Foley was in touch with U.S. senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. congressman Andrew Garbarino, and Gov. Kathy Hochul. Also, Islip Town officials.

“[Gov.] Kathy Hochul gave us $3.5 million for the emergency trap bags. The county installed the emergency trap bags on Fire Island. Suffolk County stepped up and installed the emergency trap bags and [county executive] Ed Romaine played a big role. There were days we didn’t think we’d get trap bags, days we didn’t think we’d get dredging, but at the end of the day, we got it done. [Town of Brookhaven deputy commissioner of planning, environmental protection and land management] Michelle DiBritta played a critical role.”

Forty loads were placed, totaling 290,000 cubic yards of sand as of Dec. 28, 2024, with Great Lakes returning for an additional 10 to 12 days to continue beach fill operations at Davis Park.

Davis Park Association Inc. president Jayne Robinson recalled, “We had terrible erosion starting last winter. The stairs to the beach washed out and there was water in the dunes. The communities worked with Neil to get emergency protection. It took the feds a long time to get to this project. There was a huge push for the trap bag project, $3 million before the first federal project. The state and federal government came through, thanks to Neil’s pushing.  Our Erosion Control Taxing District, the town, the Pines and Seaview led the effort.”

Robinson brought up a good point: that protecting Fire Island isn’t for a lot of the rich people.

“It protects the mainland,” she said. “We have an erosion control taxing district and tax ourselves for erosion control projects. We had to make a 30-year commitment, so we’re digging into our own pockets. We’ll pay up to a quarter of the price for the maintenance.”

Robinson explained that while New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul approved $3.5 million of federal funds from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the project, the Erosion Control District picked up the overruns for the sandbags.

There is a finalized agreement afoot to share future beach replenishment nourishment project costs every four years for the next 30 years between state and local governments that’s pending.

Robinson pointed out the federal project is 100 percent emergency repair. And one other thing: hurricanes are far reaching.

“With The Hurricane of ’38, people in Vermont reported salt spray hitting their windows,” she said.

On Fire Island Pines, 330,000 cubic yards of sand have been placed to date. Hand placement of material was conducted on the landward face of dunes near structures per the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during a Jan. 8, 2025 inspection.

Henry Robin, president of the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association, said he’s been referring to Great Lakes “like the cavalry. They arrived three weeks ago,” he said. “They’ve had equipment that needs to be replaced; as soon as they replace the equipment, they’ll get back to the Pines. The difference between the current beach and its restoration is that it’s so much more extensive and will clearly protect the island and the mainland.”

Robin reiterated Robinson’s comment that the replenishment is an emergency repair project sustained over the last couple of years. “The first storm that impacted the beaches was December 2022. That storm was devastating. If it weren’t for Fire Island being here, it would have been devastating for the mainland.”

Robin also mentioned the pending finalized agreements between state and local governments to share costs. “We want routine renourishment as needed during a four-to-five-year cycle for next 30 years; that’s where we pay for our fair share through our Erosion Control District. But we need those agreements. And we in the Fire Island Pines and Davis Park, we’re all ready to go forward and provide with our tax dollars.”