Pennsylvania Representative Mike Kelly is requesting sand replenishment funding to be included as a top priority in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ fiscal year 2022 Work Plan and FY2023 budget.
In 2021, Kelly secured $1.5 million for Presque Isle sand replenishment.
“Presque Isle is an essential economic and natural resource for Erie and Northwestern Pennsylvania at large ,” Kelly said.
“We have an obligation to our constituents and to local businesses to keep our beaches and waterways as healthy and pristine as possible.”
Each year, Northwest Pennsylvania’s winter weather wreaks havoc on Presque Isle beaches.
The funding is used to prevent sand and beach erosion, beach closures, and to prevent public safety concerns.
As both an economic and natural resource for Northwest Pennsylvania, Presque Isle creates more than 1,000 jobs and draws roughly 4 million visitors, who bring more than $60 million into the local economy, according to a study by the Pennsylvania Department of Conversation and Natural Resources.