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DeMint Hears Case for Guarding Coast

Posted on: Friday, 12 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

Aug. 11--Coastal communities are continuing the fight to maintain and secure federal and state funding for beach renourishment with some successes along the way, and on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint heard their case.

The Grand Strand is moving forward with plans to form a coastal coalition aimed at getting beach-renourishment dollars for the area, which has had some victories in the past and small successes recently, according to local officials who earlier this year went to Washington to lobby.

On Wednesday, Washington came to local leaders and business owners when DeMint made one of his Grand Strand stops at a luncheon hosted by the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley. The topics of discussion included beach renourishment and interstates 73 and 74.

According to coastal officials, the beaches, overall, have been holding up well, and local leaders say they hope hurricane season does not change that.

"Beach renourishment is the most crucial need for the Grand Strand," said Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "Every other project discussed or proposed can only succeed if we protect our beaches. The coastal communities allying themselves together is the only hope we have to meet our needs."

To meet those needs, Dean said, all beach communities, including those outside of the Grand Strand, must make collaborative efforts to get federal and state money for beach renourishment.

"We've had some successes, but we've got a long way to go," Dean said. "Looking at it project by project sort of hinders us in the long run. So many outside legislators don't understand or value the importance of protecting our beaches. We can't continue to fund projects municipality by municipality. There's no reason why coastal communities can't unite."

Hatley said the area is moving forward with plans to form a coastal coalition, which will consist of business owners and elected officials. The area is also talking to N.C. officials, she said.

During Wednesday's luncheon, Hatley said the area needs DeMint's continued support. She encouraged him to talk to other senators and President Bush.

DeMint and the Senate have proposed $100,000 in its budget that would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer to see how previous renourishment projects are holding up in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Garden City/Surfside Beach.

Horry and Georgetown counties are also slated to receive some of a $5 million pot for beach renourishment. Most of the money will go to Edisto Beach, which is badly eroded, coastal officials have said.

The federal government usually pays 65 percent for beach renourishment projects, and the local and state governments pay 35 percent.

The last renourishment project was in 1998. Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are due for renourishment this year.

"Except for small sections in North Myrtle Beach, particularly Cherry Grove, and in Garden City, the beaches up there are looking fairly good," oceanographer Bill Eiser said from the state's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. "After the Edisto project, the Grand Strand and Pawleys Island is the next project."

U.S. SEN. JIM DEMINT'S GRAND STRAND APPEARANCES WEDNESDAY:

--Hurricane Preparedness Hearing, Springmaid Convention Center, 3200 S. Ocean Blvd.

--Myrtle Beach Community Meeting, Ocean Creek Resort, Water Oaks Conference Center, 10600 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach

--Press conference on Interstate 73 at Magnolia's at 26th Restaurant and Conference Center.

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Source: The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

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