Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand Announce Approval of Emergency Federal Action for Fire Island

New York District of the Army Corps “Extreme Storm” Determination Triggers Expedited Process for Significant Federally Funded Repairs of Coastal Damage on Eastern Fire Island

New York Officials Reaffirm Commitment to Seek Full Repair by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Dune and Beach Projects in Suffolk County Communities Significantly Damaged by Climate-Driven Storms

Governor Kathy Hochul, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a determination by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that recent seasons’ extreme coastal storms provide eligibility under Public Law 84-99 for the process to assess, fund, and repair damaged Army Corps coastal projects on Fire Island in Suffolk County. The approval allows the Corps to begin an expedited evaluation of needed repairs on eastern Fire Island while the Corps continues to assess Governor Hochul’s formal request for the repair of three other coastal projects — West of Shinnecock Inlet, Fire Island Inlet and Shores Westerly, and Downtown Montauk — to protect public safety and mitigate the severity of potential damage wrought by future storms.

“Long Island's iconic beaches are a treasured natural resource and I'm doing everything in my power to protect them for the next generation,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers are grateful for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers response to our request for support to address severe coastal erosion, along with the continued support of Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. I am committed to working with the Army Corps to immediately begin repairs on eastern Fire Island and at other Army Corps projects that were damaged by recent storms.”

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “Today, we have made good progress and the Army Corps is fired up to help Fire Island. And that is a good thing because the Island is a mess from recent storm damage. But even more succinct: this is an emergency. I am glad the Army Corps has heeded this call and can now work with a designation that allows emergency dollars to be sought and used to remediate the wide damage we have seen to beaches, shorelines and inlets. I thank Brigadier General Lloyd, Colonel Young and his team at the Corps for their work and will continue to advocate for continued help across Suffolk as it relates to this storm damage.”

On Tuesday, Governor Hochul announced additional state funding to support critical resiliency projects to stabilize communities and restore impacted beaches along Long Island’s South Shore, including Fire Island and Gilgo State Park. New York State is providing $2 million to the town of Babylon through the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 to protect existing park infrastructure at Overlook Beach in Cedar Beach. New York State is also partnering with Suffolk County and providing $3 million to support local government efforts to undertake additional beach replenishment to further protect eastern Fire Island communities.

Earlier this month, Governor Hochul recently announced a comprehensive resiliency plan to protect New Yorkers from extreme weather as part of her 2024 State of the State Address and included $435 million in the Executive Budget proposal to help implement the initiatives. Highlights include:

• Creating the ‘Resilient & Ready’ Program to establish a flexible fund to support resiliency efforts for low- and moderate-income homeowners ahead of future storms. The program will enable State Homes and Community Renewal to assist households that experience flood damage to make necessary repairs in the aftermath of storms and will cover the cost of proactive flood mitigation improvements.
• Creating the Blue Buffers Voluntary Buyout Program, with $250 million included in the 2024-25 Executive Budget to encourage buyouts in communities most vulnerable to flooding. The program will prioritize outreach and education first and then begin identifying voluntary projects based on the level of flood risk, ensuring we protect our communities that are most vulnerable to high water and storm surges.
• Making major investments in statewide disaster response to put more boots on the ground, improve training and preparedness, and address evolving threats as they come.
• Update Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) Maps, which are essential to the protection of beaches, dunes, and bluffs that maintain and enhance flood resilience, so that communities and permit applicants quick quickly determine if a property is within a CEHA.

The voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 is helping to support these and many other initiatives, including leveraging funding for water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure. The Bond Act is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. Disadvantaged Communities will receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of Bond Act funding, with a goal of 40 percent. For more information about the Bond Act, go to www.ny.gov/BondAct.