County gets more grant money for post-hurricane shoreline recovery
Additional $1.2 million brings tally to $21.8 million
Lee County has accepted an additional $1.2 million in grant funds to address beach and dune erosion caused by a pair of hurricanes.
The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve an amended grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to provide additional funds for the Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole Recovery Project.
The amendment will increase the total grant to more than $21.8 million, with no local match requirement.
The main project consisted of 1.1 miles of shoreline within Lovers Key State Park and 0.8 miles of shoreline at the northern end of Bonita Beach (Little Hickory Island). In addition, in cooperation with the City of Bonita Springs, hurricane damage to the upper beach and dunes was repaired on a one-time basis south on Bonita Beach to the Lee-Collier county line. Weeks Marine Inc. excavated, transported and placed beach-compatible sand from a Gulf sand source to nourish multiple beach segments.
The work was completed in March.
The Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shorelines sustained beach and dune erosion from Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm in September 2022, and Hurricane Nicole, a Category 1 storm in November 2022. The state, through FDEP, reached out to local governments to determine beach-recovery needs. The needs were compiled into the Hurricanes Ian and Nicole Recovery Plan, published by FDEP in December 2022, and used by the legislature in support of special and general appropriations.
— Source: Lee County Government