Two friends left voicemails last night, concerned for my safety during the storm. I was hosting a community social in Millville and missed both calls. I am returning their calls today with good news: the only casualty at my place is a flag tangled by the wind. We had no flooding, no erosion, and no wind damage. Compared to storms of the past, this one was a non-event for us.
That outcome was not luck. We have spent the last 20 years preparing for increasingly difficult weather patterns, and after Sandy that work became our primary focus. It has included smarter construction techniques and materials, elevated or floating infrastructure, living shorelines, dune restoration, restored oyster reefs, stone breakwaters, and a seawall where one was necessary. We use amphibious vehicles and keep emergency vessels moored rather than docked. Each successive storm has done less damage. The outlook for local fisheries and aquaculture is stronger than ever, and recreational use is rising again, with an emphasis on soft-footprint activities.
My advocacy for the Bayshore, now in its fourth decade, comes down to one message: we have the capability to handle whatever nature brings. The harder work is getting stakeholders and elected officials to pull in the same direction.
Money Island is where that work matters most right now. For more than eight years, the State of New Jersey has been in litigation with the people best positioned to improve it, and I am one of them. The dispute centers on engineering and permits for waterfront development that predates my lifetime. I believe the resources spent on this lawsuit could have covered those permits. I remain ready to work with the State on a resolution that lets Money Island move forward.
The shoreline at “New Jersey’s diamond in the rough” is ready for partners who can work together to bring strength to our fisheries, aquaculture, recreation, and environmental tourism industries. If you care about the Bayshore’s future, I would welcome that conversation.
#NewJersey
#sustainablity
#environmentalist