USA: Money for Presque Isle Beach Replenishment Secured

Money for Presque Isle Beach Replenishment Secured

U.S. Representative Mike Kelly, Senator Bob Casey Jr., and Senator Pat Toomey issued the following statements commending the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FY 2014 USACE Civil Works Work Plan for including $1.5 million for Presque Isle Beach Replenishment and $1.52 million for dredging and sediment testing in Erie Harbor, both of which had been omitted from U.S. President Obama’s budget proposal.

Last month, Rep. Kelly authored a letter with Senators Pat Toomey, and Bob Casey requesting that additional funding appropriated to the USACE through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 go toward the Presque Isle Beach Nourishment Project.

Statement from Rep. Kelly:

The Presque Isle State Park’s shoreline and Erie Harbor are unique natural resources for the region and together they form an economic driver upon which scores of local jobs, livelihoods, and businesses rely. I am thrilled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recognizes the importance of maintaining these treasures, and will continue doing my part to ensure that they can be enjoyed by millions of families and tourists today and in the future.

Statement from Sen. Casey:

I’m pleased that the Administration has dedicated additional funds to fighting erosion at Presque Isle,” Senator Casey said. “Presque Isle plays a major role in Erie’s economy and has a major jobs impact across Northwestern Pennsylvania. I’ll continue to push the Administration and Congress to dedicate the necessary resources to this project.”

Statement from Sen. Toomey:

More than 4 million people visit Presque Isle State Park each year—making it Pennsylvania’s most visited state park,” said Sen. Toomey. “Presque Isle is woven into the social fabric of the region and plays a vital part in Northwestern Pennsylvania’s economy. With these factors in mind, I hope that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to prioritize beach replenishment at the park, as it has in previous years.”

Statement from Harry Leslie, Park Operations Manager at Presque Isle State Park:

The cooperative annual ‘Beach Nourishment Project’ at Presque Isle State Park between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the single most important project for the park each year. This project is environmentally critical in sustaining the many unique habitats that only occur in Pennsylvania at Presque Isle, provides shoreline protection from the constant erosionary forces of Lake Erie to critical park infrastructure, and provides major economic benefits to the region by nourishing the wide beautiful sandy recreational beaches along the park’s 7 miles of Lake Erie shoreline, making Presque Isle State Park and the approximately 4 million visitors annually, the major summer tourist attraction in Northwestern Pennsylvania. This announcement of full federal funding for fiscal year 2014 for this very critical Park project is exciting news and is greatly appreciated by all who visit and recreate on this ‘Crown Jewel’ of Pennsylvania State Parks.”

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Press Release, March 7, 2014