“The U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOI) release of nearly $475 million today will help assist in the recovery of national parks, wildlife refuges and historic places in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, and across the state,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) whose congressional district includes hard-hit coastal areas in Monmouth and Ocean Counties along the Jersey Shore.
“This specific funding through the Department of Interior will not only enable the restoration of public areas, facilities and roads, but it will also help reenergize local economies and reopen areas damaged by Sandy to visitors and recreational activities,” Smith said.
Smith highlighted the following New Jersey projects listed in the Department of Interior’s announcement:
the Gateway National Recreation Area, which spans New York and New Jersey will receive just over $150 million for repair projects in both states. The National Park Service will contribute to the rebuilding of transportation infrastructure and facilities on Sandy Hook, which reopened earlier this month;
The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Ocean County will receive more than $20 million for restoration projects such as road and trail repairs and electrical improvements;
$16 million of the $40 million total in Historic Preservation funding will go to eligible projects in New Jersey on the National Registry of Historic Places; and
Statue of Liberty National Monument, will receive about $60 million for repair of damages it sustained in Superstorm Sandy.
In addition to the parks, historic preserves and refuges, Smith also highlighted funding targeted specifically for the relocation and rebuilding of DOI’s Ohmsett facility, located on the installation’s land leading to Sandy Hook Bay and operated by Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
“The DOI has recognized the critical nature of the environmental and cleanup research conducted at the Ohmsett facility and specifically its impact on national preparedness,” Smith said. “The facility has been key in properly training responders for major oil spills including responders from the Coast Guard’s National Strike Force,” he said.
“The funding will be used to relocate and rebuild the damaged facilities further inland, to continue operations while mitigating the possibility of damaged caused by future storms,” Smith said.
Smith who has toured the facility with Earle’s Commanding Officer Captain “Fuzz” Harrison said, “The men and women at the Ohmsett facility took great pains to prepare for the storm in the days before Sandy by securing equipment and removing approximately 30,000-35,000 gallons of oil. They then worked around the clock to recover after the damages were sustained—despite a lack of power and delays caused by the Nor’easter.
“This funding is another step toward a full recovery for our state,” said Smith. “New Jersey is resilient and with a little help, we are rebuilding stronger.”
The funding announced by DOI is about 60 percent of the total funds that the agency received under the nearly $60 billion in federal funding provided earlier this year through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (PL 113-2).
