Lawmakers receptive to proposed beach renourishment policy change - StarNewsOnline.com
So far, it appears lawmakers in Washington are receptive to a policy change pushed by New Hanover County officials that could affect the way federal beach nourishment projects are funded across the country.
Federal legislation, expected to be approved later this year, would give local governments the authority to contribute funds to beach nourishment projects, allowing more freedom in the scope of work and – personal to Carolina Beach – providing an alternative in the event federal funding runs out in light of an earmark ban in Washington.
"This is a policy change. This is not an earmark," said Daniel Sheehan, a principal for the lobbying firm Marlowe & Company that represents the county.
He was speaking via a conference call Friday morning with county staff, elected boards of all three beach towns and representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers.
The officials met over breakfast in Carolina Beach to discuss some of the most pressing coastal issues – dredging inlets and replacing lost sand on beaches – that are impacted by the uncertainty of future federal funding.
Federal law prohibits contributions from local municipalities or counties to pay for federally-contracted beach nourishment projects beyond the formula already set up. Federal funds cover 65 percent of each town's project, and the remainder is covered through state appropriations and room-occupancy tax revenues collected in the county.
County Commissioner Rick Catlin, who attended Friday's meeting, said a back-up plan – in the event that federal funding isn't available – would be to use more room-tax revenues to cover costs. Local contributions also could give officials more control over the scope of the project by allowing them to pay for more beach-rebuilding work than the federal government would be willing to pay.
Sheehan said it is a "no brainer" change to an outdated policy and that the legislation, if approved as expected in November, would pave the path for local governments in other states to contribute to their own federally contracted projects as well.
Local officials in Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville beaches hope to agree on a back-up plan soon that includes formulas for contributing room tax revenues to beach nourishment projects, especially since Carolina Beach's federal contract with the corps expires in 2014.
Inlet dredging
At the same time, the lack of federal funding could also stall future dredging of Carolina Beach Inlet, a navigation route relied upon by charter fishermen and others in the tourism industry.
Just last month, for example, local leaders scrambled to find and contribute funds to dredge the inlet through June next year.
A federal ban on earmarks, or appropriated funds, essentially erased a funding stream to pay the corps to dredge most of the state's shallow draft inlets. But the state ultimately contributed half the funds, contingent on local governments matching them, to keep some of the inlets – including Carolina Beach Inlet – navigable through next year.
At Friday's meeting, Col. Steven Baker of the corps' Wilmington district said his agency is challenged with maintaining its capabilities in spite of the funding cuts. Without dredging projects, the corps will lose crew members and then dredges.
He said federal guidelines prohibit the corps from leasing its dredges to private companies or local governments.
"There's just so many needs going on and not enough funding in the corps to meet those needs," Baker said. "It is a challenge."
Local officials are working on a back-up plan to fund the dredging of Carolina Beach Inlet in the future, and the county's Ports, Waterways and Beach Commission is expected to discuss the idea – along with the interlocal agreement for beach nourishment – at its 4 p.m. Wednesday meeting.
Shannan Bowen: (910) 343-2016
On Twitter: @shanbow
24 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHfITDFLrtAvd25e8Nu2KnCRJbwJg&url=http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110923/ARTICLES/110929834/-1/news05?Title=Lawmakers-receptive-to-proposed-beach-renourishment-policy-change
~
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
