Interior Department announces funding for Atlantic Coast restoration

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge experienced extensive flooding during Hurricane Sandy (Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, via Flickr)

The U.S. Department of the Interior will invest $162 million in Atlantic Coast restoration projects to protect residents from powerful coastal storms, according to a DOI release.

Marshlands and beaches will be restored to improve the East Coast’s natural barriers against storm surges.

A total of $15 million will be spent to restore 60 miles of the New Jersey coast and its salt marshes.  Delaware’s Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge will receive $19.8 million to restore marshes and beach ecosystems.  DOI will also fund restoration of Virginia’s Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, which retreats by up to eight feet per year.

A host of modeling, mapping and assessments by federal, state and local land managers will be funded to improve emergency response.

Image: Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge experienced extensive flooding during Hurricane Sandy (Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, via Flickr)