WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Representative John L. Mica (R-7th District) today announced that Congress has given final approval for providing federal assistance to restore the St. Johns County shoreline.
            “St. Johns County’s beaches are important for our future, and we must find a viable and cost effective solution to begin the work of restoring our coastline.  This project is not only key to preserving our tourism economy but also to finding an appropriate engineering solution to protect our precious natural resources,” Rep. Mica stated.
            In the legislation approved by Congress and expected to be signed into law by the President today, the Army Corps of Engineers will receive $263,000 to perform preliminary work on local restoration plans for the beaches along all of St. Johns County’s oceanfront, with the exception of St. Augustine’s beach where a beach restoration project is already underway.  With Rep. Mica’s assistance, the project has been allocated $418,000 in federal funds to date.
            With the new federal funds, the Army Corps will continue a feasibility study which will determine the costs and benefits of conducting the beach renourishment project.  Due to tropical storms and major hurricanes, the ocean shorelines in this area have been subject to significant erosion.  These shores are a mainstay of the local economy and protection of this resource is of the utmost importance to residents and visitors alike.
            “St. Johns County citizens pay a significant amount of federal taxes to Washington, and it’s only fair that some of these funds be returned to benefit our community,” said Rep. Mica.
The federal assistance is included in a federal appropriations measure recently passed by Congress and is expected to be signed into law by the President today.  The funding bill had been stalled since October of last year and is not part of the stimulus package.