Coastal Dune Repair

OVERVIEW

The March 2, 2018, Nor’easter ‘Riley’ caused severe erosion up and down the MA coastline and in particular to the coastal dune in very close proximity to a home on Coffins Beach in Gloucester, MA. MassDEP issued Emergency Declarations for a limited timeframe for repair and restoration of storm-damaged coastal resource areas without obtaining wetland permits. This dune repair and restoration work was complicated by the mapped habitat of the shorebird Piping Plover by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program’s (NHESP) Priority Habitat of Rare Species. Hancock Associates coordinated the approval of the construction methodology with MassDEP, the Gloucester Conservation Commission and NHESP. We worked closely with the contractor to oversee the repair and restoration and provided shorebird monitoring services to avoid any disturbance of potential nesting habitat of Piping Plovers. Following the emergency dune repair and restoration, we obtained a wetland permit to build a boardwalk over the restored coastal dune to minimize disturbance of the re-vegetated coastal dune while still maintaining access to the beach.

SERVICES

As-Built Surveys, Boundary Surveys, Certificate of Compliance (COC), Coastal/Inland Environmental Permitting, Construction Observation, Construction Staking, Environmental Compliance Monitoring, Erosion Control Design, Existing Conditions Surveys, FEMA Evaluation Certificates, Lot Stakings, Notice of Intent (NOI), Permitting Support, Plot Plans, Rare and Endangered Species Assessments, Subsurface Sewage Disposal, Topographic Surveys and Mapping, Wetland Resource Delineation and Mapping, Wetland Restoration, Replication and Enhancement, Wetland Surveys.

IN THEIR WORDS

I first worked with Hancock Associates in 2002 on a septic plan for my home renovation. When I went back to them in 2018, my project was much more urgent. I needed a team who I could trust to help save my home and the dunes surrounding it. Hancock Associates immediately took a leadership role, came up with a great plan, worked seamlessly with the state and local environmental organizations, my GC and the rest of the team. During the entire process, they were knowledgeable, thoughtful, efficient and dedicated. I could tell that they truly enjoy the work that they do.

Homeowner