Governor Announces Grant for Coastal Resiliency in Staten Island

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced yesterday a $300,000 state grant award to evaluate a shore protection system and maximize the marine habitat at Great Kills Harbor, which was heavily hit by Superstorm Sandy.

The storm caused significant erosion to Staten Island’s bluffs and beaches as well as Great Kills Harbor, where it lifted and moved boats and damaged other maritime structures with large waves.

“The shorelines of Staten Island were hit hard by Sandy, but today we are preparing them for future storms and making the Island a safer place for all,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will fundamentally help increase the resiliency of the area surrounding Great Kills Harbor and allow us to build it back better and stronger than before.”

The study will model the effectiveness of systems designed to attenuate the impact of waves and increase the resiliency of the shoreline at Great Kills Harbor as sea levels rise. It will also evaluate and summarize the costs, benefits, and environmental implications for the approaches.

The funding supports storm resiliency by investing in green infrastructure, a major focus of “Reimagining New York for a New Reality,” the Governor’s $17-billion strategy that aims to improve New York’s infrastructure, transportation networks, energy supply, coastal protection, weather warning system and emergency management network.

The project is funded by the State Environmental Protection Fund and is being undertaken through a partnership among the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency.

State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens said: “Governor Cuomo has a clear vision for creating resilient communities in New York State. The Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program is doing its part to make this vision a reality in shoreline communities along the estuary. This project will demonstrate how to re-imagine resilient coasts while also improving the Hudson River estuary’s habitat.”