Two bills introduced by U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) aim to address shoreline erosion in his home state and around the country.
“My bills will adjust U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs to ensure targeted federal funding can be directed to resilience projects in our most vulnerable shoreline areas,” Rep. Joyce said. “These bills are a much-needed answer to the calls local leaders have made for greater support for shoreline protection efforts.”
Rep. Joyce on July 28 sponsored the Creating Opportunities to Advance Shoreline Treatments (COAST) Act, H.R. 4767, which would amend the Flood Control Act of 1946 to authorize increased funding ‘‘for flood control or erosion control, not to exceed $45,500,000 per year, for the construction, repair, restoration, and modification of emergency streambank and shoreline protection works,” according to the text of the bill.
Specifically, such authorized work under H.R. 4767 would prevent damage to highways and other roadways, bridge approaches, public works, public recreational assets, public lands, and parks, churches, hospitals, schools, and other nonprofit public services, according to the text.
Also on July 28, Rep. Joyce sponsored the Detrimental Erosion Forcing Enhanced Needs to Defend (DEFEND) the Great Lakes Act, H.R. 4768, which would require the U.S. Secretary of the Army to initiate at least five projects to reduce the loss and degradation of Great Lakes coastal wetlands, according to the bill’s text.
“Water levels in the Great Lakes have reached historic highs over the past several years, damaging the environmental and economic health of countless communities,” said Rep. Joyce, co-chairman of the Great Lakes Task Force. “Unfortunately, most federal programs aimed at mitigating these impacts are not well targeted to shoreline erosion caused by high lake levels.”
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) on July 30 joined Rep. Joyce as a cosponsor of both bills.