Dare County: state permits secured, Corps approval and FEMA funds will determine May start for beach nourishment
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
Dare County officials told Buxton and Avon residents that state and Park Service approvals are in hand but the U.S. Army Corps permit and FEMA funding remain outstanding; contractors could begin sand placement as early as May if those approvals and funding align.
Dare County Manager Bobby Outen told a packed public meeting that the county has secured state permits for its Buxton and Avon beach nourishment projects and has Park Service approvals pending, but is still waiting on federal (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) permits and the arrival of FEMA funds.
Outen said, “We got our permits today from the state for both the project for the beach project as well as for the groin project,” and added that Park Service sign-offs were imminent. Steven Trainham, president of Coastal Science & Engineering, said the Corps permit was anticipated around March 1, which would allow the board to review contract awards and issue a notice to proceed in early April, potentially enabling contractors to begin sand pumping in May.
The county has already received bids, and Outen warned the public that those bids were higher than expected. He said the county prepared bid packages both with and without FEMA funding because FEMA has “committed to paying for a portion of this project,” but the money had not yet been deposited in the county account. The final volume of sand placed in Buxton and Avon will depend on what funding ultimately becomes available.
Trainham described the construction approach as similar to past projects: most fill will be placed by hopper dredge excavating offshore bars roughly two miles out and pumping sand onto beaches. In Buxton, where erosion has accelerated, the county aims to place about twice the sand volume added in 2022. He said the work will include dune reconstruction in places that currently lack dunes and berm nourishment where healthy dunes already exist.
Officials cautioned that timing depends on multiple approvals and seasonal weather windows. Trainham and Outen both stressed that contractors time mobilization to wave and weather data and that starting too early or too late can force remobilization. “If we get the federal permit and everything falls into place, we could be looking at sand pumping as early as May,” Trainham said; if not, the county will shift the schedule.
Next steps: the county expects the Corps permit decision in the coming weeks, the board will review the low bid and could recommend an award, and staff will publish a project web page and FAQ with updated schedules and procedural notices.