Bills aim to combat shoreline erosion

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge Township, recently introduced a pair of bills aimed at combating shoreline erosion.

“Water levels in the Great Lakes have reached historic highs over the past several years, damaging the environmental and economic health of countless communities” Joyce said in a statement. “As someone who grew up on the shores of Lake Erie, I’ve seen the devastating effects of shoreline erosion: property is lost, structures are destroyed, and ecosystems are damaged. Unfortunately, most federal

programs aimed at mitigating these impacts are not well targeted to shoreline erosion caused by high lake levels.”

Joyce said his bills, dubbed the COAST Act and DEFEND the Great Lakes Act will “adjust U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs to ensure targeted federal funding can be directed to resilience projects in our most vulnerable shoreline areas.”

According to Joyce’s Office, the COAST Act would increase the amount of authorized funding for the Emergency Streambank and Shoreline Protection Continuing Authority by $25.5 million. It would expand the list of authorized use of funds to include construction, repair, restoration and modification of emergency streambank and shoreline protection works to prevent damage to highways and other roadways, bridge approaches, public works, public recreational assets, public lands, and parks, churches, hospitals, schools, and other nonprofit public services.

The DEFEND the Great Lakes Act would amend the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Continuing Authority Program to require the Secretary of the Army to “initiate not less than five projects to reduce the risk of loss and degradation of coastal wetlands along the shorelines of the Great Lakes due to shoreline erosion caused by high velocity waves and high-water events within two years of enactment,” according to Joyce’s office.

Joyce