DEQ awards $1,557,606 for Buxton Beach maintenance / storm damage repair

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources is awarding $11.5 million in grants to eight communities in coastal North Carolina for projects related to Hurricane Florence damage, which includes a Buxton Beach nourishment maintenance project slated for 2021 / 2022.

In June of 2019, the Dare County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $19.8 million project proposed by Coastal Science & Engineering (CSE) to renourish the beaches that were targeted in a 2017 Buxton Beach Nourishment Project, and to restore three groins in the area.

The awards from the DEQ’s Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund will fund beach nourishment, dune restoration, and other projects to remediate storm damage.

“These grants will help restore our coastal areas damaged by Hurricane Florence and serve as a reminder that we must rebuild smarter and stronger to protect our coastal economy from the climate impacts of the future,” said Secretary Michael S. Regan.

The following project proposals were approved for funding:

• Dare County Buxton Maintenance/Storm Damage Repair – $1,557,606.74
• Town of Duck Beach Nourishment Project – $1,450,921.35
• Town of Kill Devil Hills Shore Protection Project – $1,450,921.35
• Town of Kitty Hawk Shore Protection Project – $1,408,247.19
• Town of Nags Head 10-Mile Beach Nourishment – $1,408,247.19
• Town of Southern Shores Beach Management Project – $1,408,247.19
• Town of Oak Island Re-nourishment Project Phase I & II – $1,344,235.96
• Surf City Post Florence Emergency Berm Restoration Supplemental – $1,365,573.03
• Town of Holden Beach Sand Fence Installation – $106,000

The Division of Water Resources’ Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund is funded by Session Law 2019-224 which allocated $11.5 million for costs associated with beach nourishment, artificial dunes, and other projects to mitigate or remediate coastal storm damage to the ocean beaches and dune systems of the state, according to General Statute 143-215.73M. The amount shall not exceed $2.5 million for each unit of local government and no cost-share will be required.

Applications were scored on six criteria, including environmental benefits, social benefits, economic benefits, life of the project, financial resources and project efficiency. To learn more about the criteria used to select the recipients, please visit the call for applications announcement and fund guidelines.