Posted on February 20, 2026
Separated by less than 50 miles of roadway at the Jersey Shore, Ocean City and Surf City have more than just the Atlantic Ocean as their easternmost point in common. Another shared trait was on full display Feb. 13 as federal officials toured several towns to survey beach erosion.
“We know this is a big issue for the Jersey Shore,” Congressman Jeff Van Drew said as he stood on the Ocean City boardwalk with the eroded Fifth Street beach behind him. “We know we have a cycle of life, and sometimes, it’s not an easy one.”
Van Drew was in Ocean City to begin a tour of four Cape May County towns with, among others, Adam Tell, assistant secretary of the Army, Civil Works, to assess beach erosion in the wake of a tumultuous summer, fall and winter storm season and discuss short- and long-term plans to address it across the country.
On Long Beach Island, Surf City Councilman Peter Hartney has been fighting for the borough’s inclusion in the last LBI beach nourishment program that saw work done in Beach Haven, parts of Long Beach Township and Harvey Cedars in 2025. Beach replenishment was slated to be done in Surf City but was bumped by the contractor to an option.
So, on Friday, Hartney made the trek down the Garden State Parkway for the opportunity to hear what Van Drew and Telle had to say about beach replenishment during a press event.
Congressman Jeff Van Drew (above left) and Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian discuss the condition of Ocean City beaches ahead of a press event on changes to funding and methodology of projects. (Photo by Gina Scala)
Afterward, he said he’d had the opportunity to speak with the congressman and assistant secretary, alerting them to the “need for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to return to Surf City to complete the renourishment project that was authorized by Congress but sidelined into the category of a ‘contract option’ by the USACE, essentially enabling the contractor and USACE to disregard congressional project authorization.”
Two days prior, at the borough council’s Feb. 11 meeting, Hartney had said the hardest hit beaches in Surf City were between 22nd and 25th streets, but the damage extended an additional 10 blocks to 15th Street.
“The erosion on the beaches of Surf City that the renourishment was meant to address continues to deepen and extend further southward,” he said following his brief discussion with Van Drew, in which the congressman said he is keeping an eye on the borough and has not forgotten about its needs.
Van Drew has not been to Surf City to survey the erosion there, despite being invited on at least two prior occasions last year. He was invited by Hartney, on behalf of Mayor Francis Hodgson, again last week.
“The environment on the beach is that the beach is continuing to erode, especially with all these winter storms,” Hartney said.
He encouraged borough residents to contact Van Drew’s office and ask that the USACE return post-haste and to complete the work as it was directed by Congress.
While there will be no immediate relief for Surf City as of yet, Van Drew and Telle said help is on the way for the Jersey Shore.
“The reason I am here today is because Jeff Van Drew is a tireless and effective advocate. We talk, it feels like on a daily basis, about how we can solve the beach challenges here in South Jersey,” Tell said, calling the beaches a critical tool to prevent floods from inland communities.
The duo has spent the better part of the past two weeks proactively identifying resources to deliver relief to impacted communities throughout the Jersey Shore region. The region has not seen the same level of commitment from state officials, who to date have failed to declare a state of emergency for beach erosion stemming from summer storms, the Columbus Day weekend nor’easter and now, Winter Storm Fern.
“We as a government have to do better in terms of how we are delivering infrastructure for the American public; not just here in Jersey, but across the country,” Telle said. “For too long, we haven’t had the proper incentives aligned within the government to deliver the best product at the best price for the American taxpayers.”
As a result, reforms are being rolled out Feb. 23 for the Army’s Civil Works in the largest capacity in four decades, according to the assistant secretary.
“It’s going to deliver more dredging, more flood risk mitigation, more navigation for the country, and it’s going to be called building infrastructure, not paperwork,” he said. “Our goal here is to get away from the endless loops of government paperwork and get back to doing things like restoring beaches here in New Jersey.”
During Friday’s press gathering on the Ocean City boardwalk, Van Drew and Telle said in the short term, tens of millions of dollars would be pumped for beach replenishment as early as this summer – at least that’s the hope.
“We just had this conversation, and we’re optimistic that we can have the resources made available within a matter of a month or two,” Telle said, adding the work and mobilization would begin shortly thereafter.
As for what projects would be funded first, Van Drew said that comes down to multiple factors, including severity of problem and what towns are on the cycle.
“Ocean City is due to have this done now,” the congressman said. “So, Ocean City is certainly one that would rank up there. We’d like to do them all at once, but it’s not going to happen that way.”
A technicality prevented New Jersey from getting funding for work caused by the same storms that impacted Delaware and New York, which both received federal funds, but that has since been cleared up, Telle said.
“That’s how we’re going to lock this money for New Jersey,” he said, adding Van Drew had solved the problem at issue.
Long-term, Telle said Van Drew had identified a lapse in how the Army Corps handles navigational dredging that could and should change how beach replenishment is conducted.
“Many times, the (dredge) material that comes from the bottom can be used to renourish beaches, and to the degree that we’re doing more dredging, opening up our economy for global commerce, there’s a great side benefit of that activity, which is beach renourishment,” Telle said.
Van Drew also talked about hot spot erosion and solving that problem. In December 2024, Congressman Frank Pallone and Van Drew announced the inclusion of their New Jersey Shore Hot Spot Erosion Mitigation Study in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.
Protecting more than 100 miles of the state’s coastline, which tallies about $100 billion in property and accounts for tens of thousands of jobs, is the focus of the study. Without it, hot spot erosion will continue to sink any investment in shore projection by undermining the projects. That type of erosion happens when currents collide with geography, focusing wave action and energy on a narrow area of beach.
Under the study, the Army Corps of Engineers will identify areas most prone to that type of erosion, assess their impact on existing federal shore protection projects and recommend solutions tailored to sustain project effectiveness in the long term.
“So, we’re looking at that to see if there are better ways to deal with that,” Van Drew said, adding one thing he always hears about beach replenishment is “you put sand down one year, and it seems like a year later it’s all gone. We want to study that. We’re looking at doing things like that. In some areas, not everywhere and not all the time, a permanent structure may be called for.”
The congressman said beach nourishment solutions should be undertaken on a project-specific basis, as opposed to the blanket solutions currently in play.
“Sometimes a permanent structure can be harmful; sometimes it can be good. We need to look into that more,” he said, adding, “Long-term, we want to do this in a better way. That doesn’t mean less, by the way.”
A change in how things are done is exactly what some have been calling to happen for sometime.
“We can and should learn from our mistakes. The time for change is here. Enough is enough,” Ross Kushner, New Jersey Coastal Alliance coordinator, said ahead of Van Drew’s press event in Ocean City. “The slap-dash beach projects of the Army Corps have given us sinkholes that have killed people, sand cliffs as high as 15 feet, dangerous shore-break waves, severe undertow, increased rip currents and devastation of coastal fish and wildlife. Our beaches have never been worse.”
He said the 2025 review by the NJDEP showed the greatest erosion this past fall occurred on beaches that were all replenished in the last two years.
“Coincidence? Hardly,” Kushner said, noting reports of rescues and drownings are also now frequent, mostly on recently replenished beaches. “There are other techniques producing more-natural beaches with shallow slopes and rebuilt sand bars that are used worldwide with great results. One was even tested by the Army Corps in Harvey Cedars just a few years ago. This would give us safer, more natural and longer-lasting beaches.”
In the meantime, Van Drew, along with Congressman Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.), introduced the Coastal Trust Fund Act last week. If approved, the act would establish a reliable and long-term funding source for coastal protection work across the country.
“This is a big deal, not just for New Jersey, but for the whole country,” Van Drew said in a statement. “The American coastal economy contributes to 46% of national GDP, but too often the government does not deliver coastal protection until after a disaster strikes.”
On Friday, he called the current funding formula a roller-coaster ride and said a permanent, reliable source of funding is key.
The proposed legislation aims to change the status quo with the investment of $1 billion annually on coastal storm management projects, with the funds coming from offshore energy lease revenues.
“We earned a budget-neutral score from the Congressional Budget Office, meaning no new taxes or fees on anybody,” he said.
Coastal experts from around the country collaborated on developing the bill, Van Drew said.
“It is one of the most serious efforts in history to protect the coastlines of the United States,” he added, thanking Gillen and coastal communities for supporting the effort.
Gillen, a lifelong Long Islander, said she has witnessed firsthand how hurricanes, severe storms and erosion can devastate coastal communities.
“That’s why it is critical that we act now to strengthen our coastal resilience by investing in proactive, long-term solutions,” she said. “We must secure dedicated funding for projects that protect our waterfront communities and preserve our shoreline.”
The bill is garnering support from across the country, and from a variety of different industries, including the specialized maritime sector of dredging.
“A dedicated funding stream for the Army Corps of Engineers’ coastal storm risk management projects strengthens our nation’s resilience, protects lives and property and safeguards the ports and waterways that power the American economy,” said William P. Doyle, chief executive officer of Dredging Contractors of America.
He said reliable funding permits coastal communities, the Army Corps and industries to strategically plan and maintain critical infrastructure while also ensuring marine navigation continues to be secure and operational.
“Coastal protection is not just an environmental priority; it is an economic and national-security imperative,” Doyle added.
To that end, Derek Brockbank, executive director of the Coastal States Organization, said beaches not only play a key role in resiliency, but also drive tourism and other economic activity for states and local communities.
“We all benefit (from beach replenishment) whether we live here or in Montana,” Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said last week.
Nicole Elko, executive director of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, called the new bill “bold,” saying it “will transform how our nation funds coastal risk management.”
Perhaps, the first group to benefit from a permanent funding source is local public works employees.
“Public works professionals are on the front lines before, during and after disasters, and dedicated support for federally authorized coastal storm risk management projects will help protect lives, safeguard critical infrastructure and ensure communities can recover faster when storms strike,” said Scott D. Grayson, chief executive officer of the American Public Works Association.
