BY NICOLE DALLARA

COMMENTARY

The Sierra Club congratulated Belmar today on their ground breaking ceremony on the reconstruction of their boardwalk. It is day to celebrate because of their decision not to use tropical woods allowing them to rebuild the boardwalk without damaging the rainforest. The original plan was to use of the rainforest wood Ipe (e-pay), a tropical hardwood found in the Amazon Rainforest. The Sierra Club has worked closely with Belmar in the past, which has always been at the forefront of environmental issues and now continues to be. Belmar along with other municipalities want to rebuild their boardwalks as quickly as possible, but we need to make sure their do so in an environmentally conscious and sustainable way.

“We applaud Belmar for their groundbreaking celebration for the reconstruction of the boardwalk and it is even a bigger reason to celebrate since they canceled their plans to use rainforest wood.

We believe that this decision will not only make Belmar’s boardwalk better but will help protect rainforests throughout the world. What we know about climate disruption and sea level rise is that we are all in it together. When we rebuild a boardwalk we need to do it in a sustainable manner that helps protects boardwalks everywhere from storm damage and sea level rise,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Belmar has always been a leader on sustainability and climate we are happy they will continue to be a leader. Together we can rebuild our shore in a timely more resilient matter and ensure the shore is built smarter and better for future generations.”

Avon by the Sea is considering the use of Ipe for their boardwalk. Being a community that has suffered catastrophic impacts from storm surge and sea level rise, Avon should be concerned about the impacts of global climate change and the impacts from severe weather. There is no sustainable way to harvest Ipe and there are no certified programs to do so. The Governor and FEMA should not allow tropical woods for rebuilding especially using public money. Using this wood impacts critically and environmentally important rainforest and adds greenhouse gases, increasing climate disruption.

“We hope that this decision will spark other municipalities to do the right thing. We are deeply concerned that Avon may use Ipe wood. Being a community that has suffered from storm surges and sea level rise they should also replace rainforest wood with other sustainable alternatives for their boardwalk. Governor Christie and FEMA should not allow public monies to be used for tropical woods. The Governor wants to lead New Jersey and if he really wants New Jersey to have a comeback he needs to do it better and smarter,” said Tittel.

Using Ipe results in the destruction of many of the last remaining places for important species that are in some cases more than endangered. Using Ipe results in the destruction of places that are important for scientific research and help develop important biomedical advances. These practices chase indigenous people out of their historic homelands. Clear cutting ancient forest and shipping the wood over 6,000 miles from the Amazon increases the climate change footprint of the boardwalk project. We believe using public money to pay for this unsustainable wood is wrong.

As an avid Belmar beach attendee I wanted to do my part to help rebuild, which is why I donated to Belmar’s Buy a Board program to help rebuild the boardwalk. I am now proud that my name will be placed on the Belmar boardwalk and want to thank Mayor Doherty for making the right decision to stop the use of Ipe for their boardwalk. It is important for Belmar to rebuild after Sandy now they can rebuild properly and sustainably.

There are better alternatives. The boardwalk washed away by Hurricane Sandy was made out of recycled plastic and that is still the best option. It removes plastic from landfills and encourages recycling. Plastic wood such as trex and others recycled plastic woods are actually better because do not get splinters, they are cooling on your feet when walking barefoot, they are softer if people fall, and they last longer. Alternatives woods can also be used such as American Black Locust is an invasive species in the northeast which can be used. Also Weather Proofed Ash can be used as an alternative which is found in North America and Canada used heavily by European nations. The municipality should also look at using salvaged wood, especially in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

As coastal communities being to rebuild they need to not make mistakes of the past and choice better alternative for the future. Instead of seawalls, which create more beach erosion and raise the level of the stormwater towns should look to more natural systems like dunes that provide habitat and better stabilize the shore. Towns such as Bradley Beach that had dunes with high vegetation were practically untouched during the storm. There are many options for these towns to build their boardwalks more sustainable and practical while protecting the town from storm surges.

“Belmar showed that you can rebuild the coast quicker, but not at the expense of the environment. We believe Governor Christie needs to learn that lesson. Belmar did the right thing, but we have to continue to work to rebuild the shore and not repeat the mistakes of the past. This way we will have a better, smarter, and brighter future. We will have a New Jersey shore for future generations,” said Tittel.

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Nicole Dallara is the Outreach Coordinator for the New Jersey Sierra Club