Posted on September 10, 2025
“Montauk’s fishing families depend on this inlet. Their livelihoods should not be jeopardized by broken promises.”
EAST HAMPTON, NY — Officials have taken steps to ensure that dredging of Montauk Inlet moves forward despite a lack of promised federal funds, according to East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.
Burke-Gonzalez said Tuesday that the town had allocated $1.1 million from its host community agreement with South Fork Wind to “fill a federal funding gap” and ensure the dredging of Montauk Inlet continued, “after Washington fell short on delivering the full commitment.”
“Montauk’s fishing families depend on this inlet,” said Burke-Gonzalez. “Their livelihoods should not be jeopardized by broken promises. When Congressman Nick LaLota confirmed we were still $1.1 million short, just days before the deadline, the entire project risked being canceled. The East Hampton town board refused to let that happen.”
LaLota responded to a request for comment from Patch: “The $10 million federal commitment to Montauk Inlet has not changed and the $1.1 million gap was not due to broken promises from Washington but the reality of receiving only one high bid, which federal law prevents from simply covering mid-contract,” he said. “When that shortfall emerged, I immediately began working with the Army Corps and the town to keep the project on track. Rather than misleading the public by pointing fingers at Washington, Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez should acknowledge her earlier failure to secure easements that delayed this project and put fishermen at risk. I commend Councilman David Lys and the town board for ultimately closing the gap, because $2.6 million to unlock $10 million in federal resources is a very good deal for East Hampton taxpayers and ensures Montauk’s fishing families are protected.”
The federal government committed $9.5 million, and the town had already invested $1.5 million under its 2022 Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers, Burke-Gonzalez said.
But when bids came in higher than expected, the ACOE informed the town that an additional $1.1 million was required, she said.
Federal officials set September 10 as the deadline to secure those funds in order for preliminary work to move forward — and, without the town’s intervention, the dredging would have been canceled, cutting off safe access to the harbor, threatening Montauk’s maritime economy, and undermining public safety, the supervisor said.
The window for dredging is October 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026, she said.
“This was our one shot,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “If we had missed this, I had no confidence the project would ever get done.”
LaLota had previously assured the community that the full dredge of Montauk Inlet to 17 feet would take place this fall, Burke-Gonzalez, quoting LaLota as saying: “The dredge will return in the fall to dredge the inlet to a depth of 17 feet.”
According to the supervisor, he also told fishermen that the project’s funding was secure, saying the dredge’s funding was intact despite the continued cuts to critical projects coming from Washington.
In reality, the federal commitment fell $1.1 million short, leaving the work at risk of cancellation until the town stepped in, Burke-Gonzalez said.
“Congressman LaLota promised Montauk this dredge would be done and fully funded. When that promise fell short, it put our fishermen, our small businesses, and every recreational mariner who depends on this harbor at risk. East Hampton made sure this community was not left to pay the price for Washington’s failure,” she said.
The project at stake this fall is the long-planned ACOE Lake Montauk Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, which will deepen the channel to 17 feet. The larger project is critical not only to Montauk’s long-term maritime economy and coastal protection, but also to public safety, town officials said.
Montauk Harbor is the only deep-draft port between New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Cape May, New Jersey, the town added. It serves as a critical port of refuge for commercial and recreational vessels and supports Coast Guard operations that protect the entire region, town officials said.
Without regular dredging, access to the “harbor of refuge” is compromised, putting lives, commerce, and coastal resilience at risk, Burke-Gonzalez said.
Burke-Gonzalez said the town was able to act quickly because of the host community agreement with South Fork Wind, a 25-year partnership that will provide nearly $29 million in direct payments to East Hampton for community projects and improvements. The town has already received over $1 million in HCA funds to date, separate from the “Wainscott Fund.”
“This agreement was designed to provide lasting benefits for our community,” the supervisor said. “Today we see exactly what that means: When federal funding fell short, we had the resources to protect public safety, our economy, and our fishing families.”
She added: “Here in East Hampton, offshore wind is not only powering 70,000 homes with clean energy, it is also keeping boats in the water, protecting the livelihoods of our fishing families, and ensuring that Montauk Harbor remains a safe haven for mariners across the region. With this funding secured, Montauk’s dredging can begin. That is the leadership this community deserves.”
