Pallone Applauds Dredging of Sandy Hook Channel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2017

Dredged Sand will help Replenish Sea Bright Offshore Borrow Area

Long Branch, NJ – This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced plans to dredge the Sandy Hook Channel and place the dredged sand in the Sea Bright Offshore Borrow Area (SBOBA). The Sandy Hook Channel was last dredged in 2015. The dredged material will be used to replenish the Sea Bright Offshore Borrow Area, which was hit hard during Superstorm Sandy.

“I applaud the Army Corps for moving forward with the dredging of the Sandy Hook Channel,” said Pallone. “This plan will help ensure safe navigation, benefit our coastal communities, and positively impact marine life by allowing us to reuse this dredged sand at a later date, instead of having to disrupt natural, underwater sand lumps. I also want to thank Clean Ocean Action for their advocacy in the moving this project forward. ”

The proposed maintenance dredging would involve the removal of approximately 350,000 cubic yards of gravel and sand to be placed at the SBOBA, which is located approximately 1 nautical mile east of Sandy Hook and has been used as a material source for beach nourishments since 1994. Clean Ocean Action has been an advocate for placing clean, dredged material from the channel in the SBOBA, since it will help alleviate the need to use natural sand formations as supplies of sand in the future.

There will be a public comment period on the proposal lasting until March 14, 2017.

National Park Service to hold Public Engagement Events on Sandy Hook Rate Increases at Pallone’s Request

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2016


Continues to Urge NPS to Withdraw Proposal on Fees and Provide Additional Information

Long Branch, NJ –The National Park Service (NPS) announced that it will be holding public engagement events on August 12 and August 20 for its proposal to increase Sandy Hook’s camping and parking fees. There will also an open house to discuss the proposal on August 31. The announcement comes after Pallone wrote NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis requesting that NPS hold a public hearing on the fee increases and provide information on the fee differences between Sandy Hook and other parks. Pallone also requested a meeting with NPS to learn how the revenues from the increased fees will be used, and if these new revenues would be used exclusively to maintain and improve facilities at Sandy Hook. NPS has not yet responded with additional information.

“It is crucial that New Jersey residents and those who pay the fees as Sandy Hook receive the opportunity to comment on these rate increases and this is a positive first step,” said Pallone. “Still, I remain greatly concerned about the rate proposal and am awaiting additional information on NPS’ proposal. We should be looking at ways to encourage more visitors to the parks, helping the surrounding economies. This proposal to yet again increase park fees moves us in the opposite direction.”

The public can offer its opinions at Gunnison Beach’s parking plaza on Friday, August 12 from 11am to 2pm and at Lot D’s parking plaza on Saturday, August 20 from 11am to 2pm. The open house will be held on August 31 from 6pm to 8 pm at the Sandy Hook Chapel.

For most vehicles, beach parking is currently $15 per day or $75 per season. For oversized vehicles (more than 20 feet), the charge is $30 per day or $150 per season. The new proposal would place fees at $20 per day and $100 per season, with $50 per day and $200 a season for oversized cars. This would mark the second fee increase at the park in five years.

In 2012, Pallone successfully fought efforts to increase parking fees per vehicle from $10 to $20, and a season pass increase from $50 to $100. NPS compromised and cut the proposed fees by half, which is what the parking fees are today.

The text of Pallone’s letter to NPS is below:


August 2, 2016

Director Jonathan P. Jarvis
National Park Service
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Director Jarvis:

I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed increases to the parking and camping fees at the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) should abandon this proposal, which would be the second fee increase in just five years.

Currently, NPS is proposing to increase the parking and camping fees on vehicles accessing Sandy Hook in 2017. This would be a dramatic increase from what fees were in 2011, when it cost $10 a day to park a car at Sandy Hook. This increase would cause additional financial burden to the many individuals and families who visit the park for recreational purposes, and has the potential to negatively impact the local economy. We should be looking at ways to encourage more visitors to the parks, helping the surrounding economies. This proposal to yet again increase park fees moves us in the opposite direction.

Ensuring affordable access for the public to Sandy Hook has been important to me throughout my time in Congress. I have repeatedly called upon NPS to avoid fee increases, and have worked to forgo or reduce these increases in the past. However, I find myself again having to appeal to the NPS to withdraw this latest proposed increase. In order for the NPS to fully understand the impact these fee increases would have on the visitors to Sandy Hook, I call upon the NPS to have a public hearing to hear directly from local residents, officials, and visitors to Sandy Hook. I would also request that the NPS provide to me statistical information related to Sandy Hook – specifically visitor counts and revenue information from prior to the last fee increase through the most recent data available. In addition, I request a meeting with NPS representatives who can provide an explanation of the proposed use of the increased fees, and if the fee money collected at Sandy Hook is dedicated specifically to Sandy Hook, or if any is diverted to other parks within Gateway National Recreation Area, or other NPS parks.

I thank you in advance for your attention to this letter, and I look forward to working with you and your staff on this matter.

Pallone Urges National Park Service to Abandon Proposal to Increase Fees at Sandy Hook

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2016


Long Branch, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement in response to the National Park Service (NPS) proposal to increase Sandy Hook’s camping and parking fees starting next year. Pallone is also writing National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis to urge the NPS to withdraw its proposal.

For most vehicles, beach parking is currently $15 per day or $75 per season. For oversized vehicles (more than 20 feet), the charge is $30 per day or $150 per season. The new proposal would place fees at $20 per day and $100 per season, with $50 per day and $200 a season for oversized cars. This would mark the second fee increase at the park in five years.

In 2012, Pallone successfully fought efforts to increase parking fees per vehicle from $10 to $20, and a season pass increase from $50 to $100. NPS compromised and cut the proposed fees by half, which is what the parking fees are today.

“I am requesting that the National Park Service and Gateway National Recreation Area withdraw its proposal to increase fees,” said Pallone. “I believe the park service can find a way forward that doesn't place the burden on New Jersey families and which keeps access to one of our state’s most prized assets affordable to everyone.”

“Sandy Hook is a treasure along the New Jersey shore that should remain affordable for anyone who wants to visit, regardless of his or her economic situation. I want to see the park continue to encourage tourism, create recreational opportunities and serve as an economic driver for the local economy. My concern is that these proposed fee increases will make it less likely that many in our community will be able to enjoy all Sandy Hook has to offer.”

Pallone Announces Over $5.75 Million for Sandy Repairs in Monmouth County

Funding to Replace Bray Avenue Bridge, Repair Romer Shoal Lighthouse

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6) announced that Monmouth County, New Jersey will be receiving more than $5.75 million in federal funding to address serious damages to the Bray Avenue Bridge and the Romer Shoal Lighthouse as a result of Superstorm Sandy. The Bray Avenue Bridge, which was originally denied significant funding, will be replaced, and repairs will be made to Romer Shoal Lighthouse. The funding is being provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) via the Sandy aid package that Congressman Pallone fought for in Congress.

“I am pleased that Monmouth County is finally receiving adequate funds to make these necessary repairs our local infrastructure,” said Congressman Pallone. “The closure of Bray Avenue Bridge for over two years now has greatly inconvenienced Middletown residents and commuters. I am glad that FEMA has finally recognized the need to make these investments so that our community can continue to rebuild and get back to normal. Making these investments now will also help to ensure that our infrastructure is stronger than before and can withstand future storms so that we don’t witness the historic destruction of Sandy ever again.”

The first allocation provides $2,006,208.90 in federal funding to Monmouth County Public Works to replace the Bray Avenue Bridge in Middletown, NJ. The Bray Avenue Bridge has been closed since Superstorm Sandy hit and post-Sandy investigations revealed that, due to damage from the storm, the bridge was no longer safe for vehicular traffic. Monmouth County applied to FEMA for funding assistance to repair the bridge, but were denied any significant funding.

Congressman Pallone wrote a letter to FEMA Regional Administrator Jerome Hatfield in April of last year urging the agency to revisit the funding request so that the bridge could be reopened.

The second allocation provides $3,750,415.20 in federal funding to make repairs to the Romer Shoal Lighthouse. Romer Shoal Lighthouse sits three nautical miles north of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The light, which sustained serious damage during Superstorm Sandy, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Pallone Announces Additional $233,600 for Research, Educational Programs to Benefit New Jersey Coastal Communities

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) has been awarded $233,600 to further develop research and educational programs to ensure that New Jersey coastal communities are resilient to the impacts of climate change, as well as future storms. Sea Grant is a nationwide network administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of 33 programs based at top research universities that help build resilient coastal communities.

“This latest grant for research and education at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is good news for our coastal communities, especially after the devastating impact Superstorm Sandy had on our region,” said Pallone. “NJSGC conducts great ocean science research, and its work will continue to help us better understand our marine environment so that we can mitigate adverse effects of disasters like Sandy on our economy and ecosystem.”

NJSGC is headquartered in the Sixth Congressional District on Sandy Hook, a unit of Gateway National Recreation Area that falls under the National Park Service’s (NPS) jurisdiction. NJSGC conducts research and hosts educational programs to further understanding of the state’s marine and coastal environment.

This latest grant comes in addition to a $567,776 grant awarded to NJSGC in October 2014 and will help fund a two year project to develop research and education initiatives to protect the coastline from future storms and the impacts of climate change. This includes natural dune building to protect inland areas, developing models to better understand the consequences of storms and sea level rise on coastal communities and businesses, and providing educational resources to help New Jersey’s residents and visitors better understand and appreciate the state’s marine environment. Funding for this larger project is being awarded incrementally as federal funds are made available.

Pallone Statement on Oil Slick Discovered Near Sandy Hook

Washington D.C. — Congressman Pallone released the following statement tonight in response to reports of an oil spill off the coast of New Jersey that has the potential to impact the Sandy Hook area:

“Reports of an oil slick off the coast of Sandy Hook are troubling, and I will be closely monitoring this ongoing situation. I will work with local and federal agencies, as well as the local communities, to make sure we minimize any adverse effects of the oil.

“It is critical that we find the source of the spill and take all necessary steps to ensure that our waters are not contaminated, that marine life and animals are not endangered, and that our shoreline is protected.”