DELAWARE -- The Bay Beach Association (BBA) in partnership with the Association of Coastal Towns (ACT) are calling on Delaware Governor John Carney and Attorney General Kathleen Jennings to act on a deal that would protect and preserve the state's bay beach shoreline.
The letter supports a plea signed by several bipartisan lawmakers in the Delaware General Assembly in February, that requests a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the State and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers outlining the responsibilities of both entities for necessary beach and dune replenishment.
"We have to make sure that future general assemblies and future congresses allocate the money to continue this so we can fight against the loss of sand, which is very important to our economy, important to our communities, the infrastructure, the infrastructure of the houses, every bit of it is protected by these beaches and dunes," says Bay Beach Association Executive Director Tony Pratt.
Pratt says there are funds readily available at both the federal and state level for the work to begin now.
The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 outlines a 90% federal and 10% non-federal cost sharing plan to restore bay beaches.
However, Governor Carney must first approve the MOA.
While many of Delaware's oceanside beaches were replenished last year, the Association of Coastal Towns has chosen to also speak out.
"We felt it was very important to get together with the Bay communities because we are all one coast and it is very important that we have a healthy coast," says Bethany Beach Mayor Rosemary Hardiman. "The Bay communities have been neglected and what we wanted to do was to join with them because we realize how important this is to them, we want to be supportive because it is important to all of us to get this done."
The letter represents a milestone between the two associations. They tell us this is the first time they have worked together on a common and critical issue. But Pratt says their work is not done until the agreement is signed.
"We have to be on our toes," says Pratt. "We have to watch this. Delaware bay shore has yet to be accomplished as far as what we want to see happen there."
Both BBA and ACT are urging Governor Carney to sign the MOA before the end of the legislative session ends this year. It ends on June 30th.
WBOC reached out to Governor Carney's office for comment, but did not hear back.
