SANDY’S
DEVASTATION
along the coast. But over the next
two decades, development of the
shore continued at a rapid clip.
A state Department of Environmental Protection master plan
from 1981 predicted growing dangers from continued development.
“Unfortunately, the devastation
of the March 1962 storm was soon
forgotten,” the report said.
“Since present population and
development levels of the state’s
barrier islands exceed pre-1962
levels, future severe storms will
undoubtedly result in far heavier
tolls in lives, injuries and property damage.”
In recent years, the effort to
hold back the sea in New Jersey
has shifted toward beach replenishment projects, where the local,
state and federal governments all
help pay to replace lost sand.
Still, the state has spent disproportionate amounts of money on
short-term coastal protection projects rather than pursuing, as many
researchers and analysts have recommended, buyout programs that
discourage new development in the
most hazardous areas.
Spokesmen for Christie did not
respond to numerous requests for
comment about New Jersey’s approach to coastal development. A
HUFFINGTON
12.02.12
spokesman for Corzine could not
be reached for comment.
New Jersey allocates $25 million every year for shoreline protection projects, including beach
replenishment, though in reality the cost is much higher because the federal government
has historically paid for more
than two-thirds of the bill. These
funds protect developed land as
well as national parks along the
New Jersey coast, although more
“WE HAVE THIS INSANE MENTALITY,
THIS BOOSTERISM
ALONG THE COAST.”
than three-quarters of the state’s
shoreline is developed.
Past studies have shown that
New Jersey’s coastal protection efforts alone account for 14 percent
of the total price tag of such projects nationwide. Research from
Duke University showed that it
would cost $2.6 billion to maintain
the state’s beaches over the course
of a decade, and other estimates
have suggested a cost of more than
$4 billion over 10 years.
A 2010 report from the state’s
Department of Environmental
Protection warned that the cost