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Eastern Long Island Residents Approve New Tax To Replenish Eroded Beaches

Julio Cortez
/
AP

On eastern Long Island, residents of North Sea Beach have opted in to a new tax to fund the replenishment of the beach to fight erosion.

Officials said most of the beach has been lost, leaving just bulkheads. Suffolk County began dredging in the North Sea Harbor this month. The new tax will help pay for the movement of 10,000 cubic yards of sand to the beach.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming said that rebuilding the natural shoreline with local sand supports more wildlife than building more artificial bulkheads.

"We know that the sand is compatible with the local habitat, and because you’re not hardening the shoreline, because you’re continuing the beach itself, the wildlife habitat and the contiguous wildlife habitat is maintained," Fleming said.

Fleming said this method is the best way to address the problem of erosion, and the community is willing to bear the costs.

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said it’s significant that the property owners themselves are footing the bill of the project.

"That’s going to be the battle moving forward, is whether you can afford to do the natural thing, which is sand. Versus the hardened structure, which you end up losing the resource. You know the beach, the habitat value, the public access," Schneiderman said.

The beach erosion control district will pay for the movement of the dredged sand.

Schneiderman said the project would also increase property values, help restore nesting areas for endangered birds and marine life and better defend against storm flooding.