After a multi-year planning and public engagement process, the recreational beach at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge – managed in coordination with National Park Service as part of Assateague Island National Seashore – will soon be relocated approximately two-and-a-half miles up the coast. The new location will provide increased protection from storm surges and sea-level rise, which have led to erosion and washouts of existing facilities, requiring millions of taxpayer dollars in upkeep and repair.
More than one million people visit the recreational beach annually, generating an estimated $38 million for the local economy. During the last several decades, escalating coastal erosion, storm damage and even high tides have threatened the beach, repeatedly damaging or destroying infrastructure, including boardwalks and parking areas. Once complete, the new beach parking lot will offer approximately 961 parking spaces.
The new beach will be a mile long, similar in length to the current beach area.
To advance military readiness, multiple Air National Guard Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) squadrons will be undertaking this training mission to help to complete construction efforts of new asphalt roads. These units are highly mobile civil engineering teams that support contingency and special operations worldwide, with a focus on rapid response and independent operations in remote, high-threat environments. They are self-sufficient and can perform heavy damage repair and construction, including creating or repairing runways and erecting permanent structures.
Since August 2010, Service and NPS staff have worked to engage with the community, incorporate input and ensure transparency. Along with multiple open comment periods, at least 10 public meetings and open houses have been conducted on the refuge and within the community.
This project is funded in part through a $17.7 million U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects grant originally awarded in 2022. An additional $3.4 million was contributed by National Park Service to complete a multi-use trail for park and refuge visitors. Work will begin on April 15 and is expected to continue for multiple weeks. Traffic delays and detours along Beach Road and the recreational bike trail are possible, please visit https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague/beach-relocation-and-habitat-re… for additional and up to date information.
