Mica secures beach funding for county
By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 03/12/09
U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, said Wednesday that there are places in St. Johns County where State Road A1A is less than 50 feet from the surf line.
"If we had a bad storm, we'd lose A1A," he said.
He's been pushing for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study beach erosion from the Duval to the Flagler county borders, and on Wednesday he announced that at 4 p.m., President Barack Obama signed into law an appropriations measure to provide the Corps with $263,000 for that purpose.
This is in addition to $418,000 in federal money the Corps has already received for the study.
"They're going to study what it will take -- engineering, design and remedial action -- to stem erosion," he said. "St. Johns County's beaches are important for our future, and we must find a viable and cost-effective solution to begin the work of restoring our coastline."
He said preserving the beaches is key to preserving the county's tourist economy.
The whole coastline will be studied, except for St. Augustine Beach, where a restoration project is already under way.
"Due to tropical storms and major hurricanes, the ocean shorelines in this area have been subjected to significant erosion," he said.
This appropriations bill is not part of the stimulus package, but it was due to be signed in October. However, the Democrats didn't finish writing it in time, Mica says, "punted it into this year."
For years Mica has said that to spend millions of dollars in futile attempts to nourish beaches with sand is a waste of money. He wants a more permanent solution.
"St. Johns County citizens pay a significant amount of federal taxes to Washington, and it's only fair that some of these funds be returned to benefit our community," he said.
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