Placing sand and gravel-filled Geotextile fabric tubes along Mantoloking's ocean front is estimated to cost anywhere from $6 to $8 million dollars, which Mantoloking officials believe is a necessary expense for protection.

Mario Tama, Getty Images
Mario Tama, Getty Images
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Chris Nelson, Special Counsel to the Mantoloking Mayor and Council, says the cost of the emergency protective measure will be separate from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers anticipated beach replenishment project, but it will be compatible with that project. He says the cost is going to be handled by the borough and the state.

"The borough has some money aside. We're trying to see if we can get some grant money. We're really going to try and piece it together and see what we get."

Nelson says the borough is working closely with the State Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) on a plan to put the Geotubes on the beach along the entire length of the borough creating the core of an emergency dune system.

"What they're going to do is they're basically gonna lay this fabric down, fill it with gravel and sand, and then they're going to go ahead and stitch it back up almost like a calzone."

In most of the ocean front communities however, getting private beach property owners to sign easements to allow beach replenishment work has been a major challenge.

"Most, if not all, of the homeowners in Mantoloking are coming around. We have commitments for an overwhelming majority of easements."

He says they've been given an April 12th deadline to get the easements in.

He attributes the April 12th deadline to a letter sent to the borough from Congressman Jon Runyan. He asked Ocean County's beach communities to do their best to get easements to the Army Corps by May 1st. That's the date he's planning to make an appeal for funding for a major beach replenishment projects.

"We're going to do our best to get all those easements in hand," Nelson explained. "If we don't, we're going to look at other ways of accomplishing the replenishment project. It's just too important for our community and the community that the barrier islands protect."

An NJDEP spokesperson says the project must be reviewed and approved by them.

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