Seaside Dune Restoration Project Underway

In an effort to mitigate storm effects and maintain its beaches in the best possible condition, Seaside is restoring and re-nourishing its coastal sand dunes.

This approach will further develop Seaside’s long-term preservation and resiliency strategy to protect the landscape and maintain the native ecosystems. Its implementation will provide natural, enduring and future protection with no adverse effect to adjacent coastal areas.

Work has commenced behind the Coleman and Seaside pavilions and will take approximately three months to complete. Seaside, in partnership with the project’s contractor, Dune Doctors, has been working with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to facilitate the process that will create an aesthetically pleasing, environmentally-compliant dune landscape with optimized protection.

The project includes four principle parts:

1. Preservation Phase—dunes are being cleaned up and fertilized.
2. Protection Phase—a sand fence is being installed and native plants, including sea oats and panic grasses, are being planted.
3. Optimization Phase—additional plants including sea oats, panic grasses, ground covers and flowers, are being planted in bare areas.
4. Dune Management Phase—includes health checkups, site visits for trash removal, pruning and annual fertilizations.

“Seaside is committed to the most beneficial sand dune restoration and beautification,” said Seaside Co-Founder Robert Davis. “It is vital to protect our coastline; we hope that neighboring communities share our commitment in maintaining and beautifying the most important, and fragile, part of our ecology.”