New Jersey blinks in dune repairs standoff, allows emergency erosion fixes in defiant town

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey environmental officials will allow a shore town to carry out emergency repairs to its badly eroded beachfront, even as the two sides continue a years-long fight over how best to protect the popular Jersey Shore resort’s fragile coastline. On Wednesday, the state Department of Environmental Protection told North Wildwood it could reshape three blocks worth of dunes in time for Memorial Day weekend. The move marked a turning point in a long-running dispute over how to ensure the beach is wide enough not only to provide space for recreation but to ensure that dunes are sturdy enough to protect the city from coastal storms.