Posted on February 9, 2026
By Eric Conklin | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Federal, state and local officials are deliberating a new miles-long beach project in Cape May County after a previous $54 million sand replenishment plan was scrapped over disagreements on key elements.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it has begun early talks with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to revive the effort, which would bolster beaches between the Hereford and Cape May inlets.
Work had been expected to take place across all of Five-Mile Island—including North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and the Diamond Beach section of Lower Township in Cape May County.
Officials in both Wildwood and Wildwood Crest were troubled by the effect the initial plan would have on their beaches, causing the project to stall.
The Crest went so far as to withdraw from the project. As talks remained deadlocked, the project was shelved, and its funding was allocated elsewhere.
A new study is now underway to examine alternatives for the project.
“The study is being done in partnership with NJDEP,” said Stephen Rochette, a spokesperson for the Army Corps. “It involves investigating alternate borrow sources for sand…we are in the early stages of this study and have begun initial coordination with the municipalities.”
A final study from the process is expected by September 2027. Officials will take public comment on the draft study, and then a final report will be sent to Congress for authorization, he said.
The initial plan approved by Congress relied heavily on backpassing, a process where sand in dense areas is transferred to more sparse beaches. New project designs would need congressional endorsement, followed by funding approvals, Rochette said.
In an email to NJ Advance Media, the NJDEP said discussions were ongoing but did not comment further.
The mayors of North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest described a “productive” meeting with the state and federal officials on Wednesday to continue negotiations.
“It sounds to me that they’re (Army Corps and NJDEP) still open for more conversation individually with the respective towns, which is good because, I’ve got to be honest, I think we were talking, and they just weren’t hearing us,” said Don Cabrera, of Wildwood Crest.
Local officials suggested town-friendly compromises, including a request to use borrowable sand from only one area of beach, rather than three, as initially planned, Cabrera said. Wildwood Crest has been cautious about how the project would alter its dune system, particularly with fears over beach access for first responders.
“We don’t want our existing dunes, or any part of them, demolished for a higher dune,” Cabrera said, “and we don’t want to close off — I’ll call them gaps — because those are our emergency access points.”
Cabrera said depending less on Wildwood Crest would ease the borough’s concerns that removing too much sand would shrink the borough’s beaches.
Similar concerns about beach length and dune height have been shared by Wildwood, which has increasingly used its beaches for events that draw considerable crowds.
The city’s mayor, Ernie Troiano, did not return a message from NJ Advance Media for comment.
Officials have said the project would particularly benefit North Wildwood, which has endured significant sand loss during coastal storms.
That erosion has fueled repeated clashes with the NJDEP, which previously fined the city for conducting unapproved emergency dune work.
The city also sued in 2025 after the regional beach project was suspended—a lawsuit filed under former Mayor Patrick Rosenello that remains ongoing.
Rosenello’s successor, Mayor Salvatore Zampirri, has suggested North Wildwood could move forward with its own standalone project if disagreements among the neighboring towns continue to stall progress.
Zampirri said he doesn’t believe Wildwood or Wildwood Crest will ever support building a dune, and added that North Wildwood would welcome a 16‑foot dune immediately if state and federal officials were ready to proceed.
Revisions to the project come amid concerns from local officials about beach replenishment funding overall.
Spending cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration forced officials to cancel several beach repairs at the Jersey Shore in 2025. Meanwhile, officials in seaside towns have pleaded for help from the higher levels of government.
Intricate beach projects, like the one across Five-Mile Island, are often 65% funded by the federal government, with New Jersey matching with 35% before costs are assessed locally.
New Jersey has increasingly spent more of its money on beach replenishment, with its Shore Protection Fund reaching $50 million yearly.
