Excess sand sought for Fire Island beaches

Islip Town and village officials met Tuesday with state and federal agencies to determine a plan of action on Fire Island beach protection after Tropical Storm Irene unexpectedly brought more sand to some areas of its oceanside beaches.

Local officials want permission from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to take some sand from the lower beach to fill in areas of dunes damaged or undermined by the storm. Officials concluded the first step is to determine how much excess sand there is.

September typically marks the time of year when Fire Island ocean beaches start to undergo a net sand loss in prevailing nor'easters, so agencies that act as guardians of the unique barrier island environment want to make sure a balance is struck, said Chris Soller, superintendent of the National Park Service's Fire Island National Seashore.

"We want to take advantage while we have the extra sand -- which is great -- and use some of it in the areas where the dunes were devastated," explained Rick Gimbl, Islip Town director of emergency management. "We can only do it if there's enough sand ahead of the winter months when the beaches tend to lose sand."

While Irene brought several washovers of dunes and made -- in some instances -- 15-foot cuttings in the dunes, officials familiar with erosion on the island described its damage as "moderate."

At the meeting, representatives from Ocean Beach and Saltaire villages and the Point O'Woods community discussed the pros and cons of scraping sand from one area to use in another, aware that the lower beach region and the dunes play important and separate roles in tackling erosion.

DEC officials will make a decision based on agency criteria that set minimum beach width and elevation for the oceanfront and that ensure the lower beach is not compromised in its ability to protect the beach as well.

Village of Saltaire administrator Mario Posillico said Saltaire would undertake a survey "as soon as possible" to see whether it meets the minimum beach-scraping criteria "so we have the option if we choose to do it. We haven't yet decided if that's the case," he said.

Ocean Beach Mayor James Mallott said he was pleased the DEC seemed open to amending permits to allow the work.

"Everywhere else in the country seems to have an ongoing program for beach restoration," Mallott said. "[Albany] doesn't realize it has any beaches, but it's a crucial piece of real estate for protection of Long Island -- we're the first line of defense."