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**ALERT**

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND A FORUM ON THE

BENEFICIAL USE & MANAGEMENT OF

DREDGED MATERIAL FOR

RARITAN BAY-SANDY HOOK BAY

This forum is sponsored by the

Bayshore Regional Watershed Council

Hazlet Area Quality of Life Alliance

Clean Ocean Action

NJ Marine Trades

Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute

Date:       Thursday, June 14, 2005

Time:       7:30pm

Location: Keyport Borough Hall, off of Front Street in Keyport.

What: Recently, the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council and its partners have received grant funds from the NJ Department of Transportation, Office of Maritime Resources to create a regional Dredged Material Management Plan for the Bayshore region of Monmouth County , NJ .

The forum is planned to be a community “kick-off” gathering and bring together local, county, and state officials; environmental commission members, marina owners, harbor masters, commercial fishing boat captains, recreational boat owners, and the public to discuss the issue of managing dredged material.

The public has an important role in the development of this plan. The Bayshore Regional Watershed Council will incorporate concerns expressed by all those involved in the forum into a draft plan, which will be available for public review when completed. The focus of the forum will be to ask where will we go from here and then to solicit public input, especially about opportunities for the beneficial use of dredged material, such as for beach replenishment, wetlands enhancement, construction fill, or road fill.

Featured Speakers:

·         Genevieve Boehm Clifton, NJDOT/Maritime Resources – the beneficial use of dredged material in New Jersey

·         Suzanne Dietrich, NJDEP- Dredge material permitting & upland beneficial use requirements

·         Melissa Danko, Marine Trades Association - the importance and issues for keeping water navigable.      
          

·         John Olsen, Keyport Harbor (real world local experience)

·         John Tiedemann, Monmouth University - Source reduction methods/strategies

·         Cindy Zipf, Clean Ocean Action - Discussion of the Surveys- dredging needs and material uses – introduce idea of sustainable material management

Why:   As we continue to dredge our harbors, creeks, and lakes there is a need now of a comprehensive, regional dredged management plan that involves the use of dredged material from the bay for various beneficial activities, such as beach replenishment, fill, construction fill, and wetlands enhancement. The public’s participation is essential to developing a plan that will increase economic growth, and protect and conserve local coastal resources.

Since 2000, the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council (BRWC) has been working to improve the physical environment in the Bayshore region of Middlesex and Monmouth counties. The BRWC encourages public participation in this effort to create a regional dredged material management plan for the Bayshore region, stretching from Aberdeen Township to the Borough of Highlands.

Directions:   The public forum will take place inside Keyport Borough Hall, which is located on Front Street in the Borough of Keyport, NJ

Front Street is accessible by getting on Main Street from Highway 36 in the Borough of Keyport. There is on-street parking. In addition there are nearby parking lots on Front Street and Main Street .  

For more details: contact the watershed council at bayshorewatershed@comcast.net

or via our website at www.bayshorewatershed.org 

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