• Photo Credit: John Chimples

    The dune system and beach at Ditch Plains are rapidly deteriorating and vanishing, raising serious concerns

  • Conversely, the habitat at the Benson Bathing Beach Reserve is thriving.

  • Why is a one-million-dollar coastal bird habitat with dune restoration project receiving funding over the Ditch Plains area?

  • Is it more crucial to prioritize improving coastal resiliency on a healthy dune system than on a failing dune system at Ditch Plains?

  • An urgent dune and habitat restoration project is imperative for Ditch Plains.

We are facing an imminent threat of losing Ditch Plains. The coastline is eroding rapidly, and the dunes are thinning at an alarming rate.

  • The US Army Corps of Engineers has unfortunately excluded Ditch Plains from its Fire Island to Montauk Project (FIMP), which aims to replenish shorelines with sand and stabilize dunes.

  • Nevertheless, the Town can leverage existing resources by piggybacking onto the FIMP project in Downtown Montauk. This entails using the dredge already in place to pump sand onto the Ditch Plains beach and fortify the dunes. Any available grant funding should be vigorously pursued.

  • Ditch Plains serves as a crucial economic driver for the Town of East Hampton. We must initiate a sand replenishment and dune restoration project to safeguard its vitality. This endeavor should also involve the strategic planting of native vegetation within the restored dunes to mitigate erosion and support the local coastal habitat.

  • Where is the DEC Water Quality Improvement Project Grant on this problem?

  • Prior to embarking on any Coastal Habitat Restoration project in Montauk, it is imperative that CCOM and the East Hampton Town Board prioritize the resolution of our pressing water quality concerns and the restoration of our severely depleted dunes in and around Montauk.

    Capture: John Chimples