Dune erosion caused by Hurricane Erin in August 2025 was evident then behind a lifeguard stand at Vincent Avenue in Strathmere.
The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce is supporting federal legislation that would provide a permanent source of funding for beach replenishment projects and other measures designed to protect the coastline.
The proposed Coastal Trust Fund Act legislation would pay for coastal restoration, resilience, infrastructure protection and the long-term sustainability of coastal regions nationwide.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew is one of the primary sponsors of the bipartisan legislation. Van Drew’s 2nd Congressional District includes shore towns in Atlantic and Cape May counties and part of Ocean County.
A resolution formally supporting the legislation was approved by the Chamber of Commerce’s executive board of directors on Wednesday.
If approved by Congress, the Coastal Trust Fund Act would establish a dedicated “Coastal Storm Risk Management Trust Fund” providing $1 billion annually to support the federal share of costs associated with beach replenishment and coastal protection projects.
“This consistent funding mechanism would allow communities like those in Cape May County to better plan for long-term shoreline maintenance and resilience efforts, rather than relying on unpredictable and competitive federal funding cycles,” the Chamber of Commerce said in a news release.
Ocean City has been stockpiling sand to help restore the eroded beaches after the stormy early-spring season is over.The Chamber, representing more than 930 businesses throughout Cape May County and southern New Jersey, emphasized that the strength and sustainability of coastal infrastructure directly affect a wide range of industries, including tourism, hospitality and fisheries.
“Reliable, consistent investment in coastal infrastructure is essential to protecting our local economy and way of life,” said Barbara Stafford Jones, the Chamber’s president and CEO.
“The Coastal Trust Fund Act represents a significant step forward in ensuring that communities like ours have the resources needed to safeguard our shoreline, support our businesses, and maintain our position as a premier tourism destination,” Jones added
Coastal communities face growing challenges from erosion, flooding and increasingly severe storms. In recent months, a series of offshore hurricanes and coastal storms caused severe erosion to both the beaches and dunes in a number of Cape May County shore towns.
While it continues to try to recover from storm damage, Upper Township has announced that it will demolish the Strathmere Beach Patrol headquarters because of severe beach erosion that has jeopardized the building.
For the immediate future, the Beach Patrol will operate out of a leased modular trailer. The temporary headquarters will be located in a place to be determined while a new, permanent Beach Patrol headquarters is properly designed, sited and built.
“We know that for many in our community, especially those who have proudly served on the beach patrol, this building is more than just a structure. It is a pillar of the Strathmere community that holds decades of memories. Please know we are not making this decision lightly. We are doing so out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our guards and the public,” the Beach Patrol said in a statement about the building’s demolition.
Upper Township will demolish the Strathmere Beach Patrol headquarters, which is threatened by severe beach erosion. (Photo courtesy of Strathmere Beach Patrol)
