USACE takes big step towards protecting the Fire Island shoreline

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District has awarded a $41.2 million contract to Weeks Marine for the Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point (FIMP) Coastal Storm Risk Management Project.

The contract will focus on the Westhampton and Cupsogue sections of Fire Island, located on the bay side of the Central Pine Barrens Forest Preserve.

The FIMP project is a critical component of ongoing efforts to mitigate coastal storm damage along 83 miles of Long Island’s south shore, which stretches from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point.

Over the years, severe erosion has devastated residential areas, impacted shorefront communities, and adversely affected national economic development in the region.

This contract is part of the broader FIMP initiative aimed at reducing risks associated with coastal storms, replenishing beaches, and enhancing ecological resilience.

Key project elements include inlet sand bypassing, beach and dune nourishment, groin modifications, coastal process restoration, nonstructural measures, and adaptive breach response plans for barrier islands.