Jersey Shore town trying not to lose the man vs. nature fight on its eroded beaches
A Montana felon previously convicted of killing eagles to sell their parts on the black market was sentenced to three years in federal prison on Wednesday for related gun violations.
NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. — A New Jersey shore town locked in a legal battle with the state over tens of millions of dollars it has spent trying — mostly in vain — to hold back the ocean now is more vulnerable than ever.
A recent winter storm destroyed part of the sand dunes in North Wildwood, leaving tiny piles about the size of a child’s sand castle to protect a popular resort town with $2.5 billion worth of private property, and at least that much in government buildings and infrastructure.
New Jersey has fined the town $12 million for unauthorized beach repairs that it says could worsen erosion, while the city is suing to recoup the $30 million it has spent trucking sand to the site for over a decade.
While they wait for a judge to sort things out amid climate change that brings rising sea levels and more intense storms, North Wildwood’s plight is a stark reminder that in the man vs. nature battle, in the long run, nature usually wins.“This is the most vulnerable we have ever been,” Mayor Patrick Rosenello said. “It doesn’t even take a storm anymore to threaten us. On most regular high tides, the water comes up and through where this dune used to be.”
He walked along the beach where the surging surf punched a hole in the dunes, completely obliterating them for about 20 feet. On either side, all that remained were sand piles that barely reached his knees. Elsewhere along the beachfront, dunes that had been about 18 feet (5.5 meters) high last summer were less than half that height — and much lower than that in numerous places.
Rating: 5