Posted on June 3, 2026
By Jillian Kohls
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — After being denied millions of federal dollars for beach renourishment last month, Tybee Island City leaders told WSAV Tuesday they are now exploring funding sources on the state level as backup.
City of Tybee Island City Manager Bret Bell said for the past 50 years, Tybee Island has partnered with the federal government to reinforce Tybee’s beaches every six years.
“Our process is interrupted by the dredging of the Savannah River shipping channel, and that’s why the federal government has participated in this really successful program,” said Bell.
He said this is the first time Tybee has not nourished its beaches on time in that 50-year partnership.
Now, after a series of meetings at the federal and state level looking for other funding sources, Bell said Senator Jon Ossoff has submitted a congressionally directed spending request to secure $12 million in the fiscal year 2028 budget.
“So we have those two tracks going on right now,” said Bell. “One is, we got Ossoff’s earmark request, and then we’re still hopeful that we’ll get normal funding through the Corps budget. It’s kind of those two things going at the same time.”
If secured, Tybee wouldn’t have to compete against other beaches also looking for renourishment funding next year, according to Bell.
Bell said, separate from next year’s $20 million project, the city has secured a $1 million grant from the state of Georgia to help restore dunes on the north side of the island that have nine-foot cliffs.
“We can’t wait for the large federal projects,” said Bell. “So, we’re moving forward this fall and doing our own dune restoration program.” The state of Georgia, this year, they allocated us a $1 million grant to help with that project.”
According to Bell, beach renourishment programs across the country have been severely underfunded in the past few years. He said that to adequately fund all federal beach renourishment projects, there would have to be about $200 million allocated, and last year, there was only $60 million.
He said now the city of Tybee is “banding together” with beaches across the East Coast on a campaign called “Say Yes to Beaches.“
“Say yes to beaches is what we’re asking the public to do,” said Bell. “Sign a petition to urge Congress to properly fund beach nourishment programs across the country, not just for Tybee, but all of us are in it together. We think it’s great value and we’ve got the data to prove it.”
Bell said they are hopeful they will know in the next month whether Ossoff’s earmark request makes it through committee. If it does, it will appear on the 2028 fiscal budget plan, which is expected to be voted on in October.
